


Walking through Windows

by LillithEvans



Series: Destination [1]
Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV), Rainz (Korea Band), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2018-12-23 07:27:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 34,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11985069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LillithEvans/pseuds/LillithEvans
Summary: This was a better show than a D-grade Netflix movie. Seongwoo is tempted to grab popcorn and place himself directly in front of his window in one of those old people lawn chairs but the opportunity passes as his neighbour has put boxers on almost immediately and seemed to be staring confused at two options of clothing on his bed.“Go with the red.” Seongwoo only realizes three seconds later when his neighbour turns around to look at him confused that he has opened his mouth and ruined his life.Ong Seongwoo is going to jail.And ass boy is looking at him.Shit Seongwoo - say something!





	1. Good Morning Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> HONESTLY I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS CRACK IS BUT I'VE WRITTEN A LOT OF WORDS FOR IT and hopefully none of you are too disturbed by the concept of peeping top Seongwoo but like - ye okay. this happened. Also this is multi chap and idk how to fix it

“SEONGWOO!” Noh Taehyun had always had very little patience in Ong Seongwoo’s opinion. He was going to get a stroke one day if he wasn’t careful. “You were supposed to be on air!” He hisses pulling Seongwoo by the neck of his jacket. “3 minutes ago you little piece of –“

Almost practiced to perfection, Seongwoo follows through with the next step in their little morning dance.

Taehyun tries to flip him into his arms, presumably to sweep him off his feet and into the garbage.

Seongwoo happily dodges the effort and stays smelling relatively fresh, offering his boss undeniable puppy dog eyes that proceeded to melt the shorter man’s irritated stance as he waved him off scowling.

If Seongwoo was rich, he would give Taehyun a massage gift certificate for his birthday. Man was so tense, he could use a little break!

As it was – Seongwoo was paid a very poor salary and so would only give Taehyun a can of Coca-Cola from the vending machine.

Still, it was the thought that counted - not the gift right? “Boo - would love to stay and get completely annihilated via a very choice set of curse words that I'm sure you spent all of the past 10 minutes thinking of but –“

“Get your ass in there you piece of horse shit and don’t come the fuck out of that door for anything – not even a washroom break. I don’t care if your lower parts are going to blow up like a grenade – you will stay glued to that seat. AM I CLEAR?”

“You are cruel my friend, cruel.” Seongwoo blows him a kiss weakly as he slides easily into the empty radio booth throwing on his headphones as he catches the end of ‘ _Replay_ ’ by Shinee, easily seguing into his introduction.

“Everyone! Hello this is your beloved Ong Seongwoo taking over now from our sunshine hero of rush hour morning traffic Sungwoon-ssi! Did everyone enjoy Replay? Our producer Jisung isn’t really here right now BUT I’m the one in trouble with our boss because I’m the talent…HONESTLY it is hard being so beautiful and talented."

Reflexively Seongwoo turns to look at Jisung his producer who could often banter with him on air and realized belatedly he had no one to talk to. Literally. "Well my dear city - who else can talk to themselves like this and still entertain people without being labelled absolutely crazy? No one else of course! So this is Ong Seongwoo without Jisung! Who needs Jisung, right? I have you Seoul! But Seoul as Jisung is not here yet, will you help me? I can only talk to myself for so long before I drive both you and myself crazy!” He laughs to himself.

From outside the radio booth, he already sees Taehyun groaning and crumbling to pieces outside. Seongwoo blows him a kiss. “So this rainy Thursday, I want to ask all of my Seoul mates – what do you really want to say to your boss? Don’t worry we’ll change your names if it’s something truly scandalous!”

The lines light up with a bright red almost immediately and he grins brightly picking up the first caller. “Yes?”

“Ah Ong Seongwoo-ssi I just want to say I listen to you every single day and I love the show!”

“Thanks friend! What’s your name? And can your boss be a pain too?”

“God like you wouldn’t believe! I’m Jeon Somi!” The girl on the other end of the line sounds so young Seongwoo is surprised she's not in school at this very moment.

“You must be a part-timer.”

“YEAH! And honestly it’s such a pain! Sometimes I want to tell him to take care of the customers too! Why do I have to stand in the front all of the time getting cursed?”

Like that the calls go on. He hears about the boss who keeps saying racist remarks to his Chinese Korean employee, the one who digs his nose every day and leaves the boogers everywhere, the one who can’t hold a conversation with anyone to hold his life and then  he’s about to take his final call just as Jisung walks in apologetically.

He rolls his eyes at the man he’s been forced to acknowledge as both his on-air and off-air best friend. Seongwoo cuts a hand across his throat flicking the switch to pick up the phone of the last caller. “And who do we have here?”

“Ah – I’d like to stay anonymous if that’s okay.” The deep voice breaks through the phone and Seongwoo raises his eyebrows as Jisung flips on his headphones and arranges his recording materials.

“Ah anonymous-ssi, your story must be quite salacious. I can’t lie now I’m anticipating it more.” Seongwoo watches Jisung raise an eyebrow and snicker softly.

“Ah no, I’m not calling about a boss – I don’t have a boss.” The voice on the other end sounds hesitant - like he's not entirely sure what he's saying is okay. 

“You don’t have a boss?”

“No - well I have a manager?” The voice on the other end of the line laughs. “He likes to boss me around but he works for me technically.”

This catches Seongwoo's ears as strange. Over the year and a half he’s worked at 101.1FM he’s never had an anonymous caller who was actually a celebrity. “Ah- now you have us really interested anonymous-ssi. You must be very popular. I like to pretend sometimes that Taehyun-hyung is just my manager but then he reminds me he can fire me.”

“Yes, we love you Taehyun! Taehyun saranghae!” Jisung laughs flipping his phone to show Seongwoo the message Taehyun had just sent him.

**_I know it’s my fault for hiring boring radio show hosts – but please keep me off the show topics. Thanks._ **

Seongwoo snickers silently to make sure the man on the other end of the line doesn’t think they’re laughing at him when he starts talking again. “Ah don’t worry I’m not famous at all – well not the way you’re thinking of.” He sounds nervous. Seongwoo only looks pointedly at Jisung as if he’s not sure if he should be hanging up. Maybe this was one of the prank calls that Jisung usually filtered out. “I’m just calling to talk to you.”

That has their attention. Seongwoo is not used to anonymous people calling for him. “Calling to talk to me?” He hopes he doesn't sound as stupid as he feels.

Why the hell would someone want to talk to him?

“Ah – I mean I just it's nice to get to know you.” Seongwoo raised an eyebrow. “I just found out who you were yesterday!” This was venturing into creep territory.

“Well anonymous-ssi, do I know who you are?” He feels his heart speed up a bit despite itself he’s not used to this situation and in unfamiliar situations, Seongwoo is often the type of person who nervously messes things up. It feels very much like Seongwoo is going to say something stupid on air very soon.

“I just called to say – you’re cute.” Seongwoo feels his jaw drop automatically as he starts shaking his head looking at Jisung who has all but spontaneously combusted as he’s taken his headphones off to laugh off his mic. Unfortunately for Seongwoo, their anonymous caller had not yet finished. “You’re really cute. Your listeners should know because I think you're one of the most underappreciated funny radio show hosts on air."

What the hell was he supposed to say to that? “Ah – thank you?”

“Thanks for chatting!” The man sounds like he’s going to make a move to hang up and Seongwoo furrows his eyebrows.

How rude was this? This anonymous caller thought he could just call him, take over his show, compliment him and walk away- well fuck if Seongwoo was letting that happen.

“I think it’d be nice if the next time you saw me you made the effort to talk to me since we definitely seem to -" How does he end that? How does he even try to figure out who the hell this is? "Well our worlds obviously connect.” He relents now, incredibly perturbed. Had he just been confessed to on live national radio? “I think I’d like to hear your voice in person too so I can thank you.” Jisung is still crying in a corner laughing making cutting symbols with his hands. “For now though we’ll have to cut our conversation short.”

For a while there's silence on the phone - and Seongwoo is scared he's scared the guy off but then he hears a deep chuckle on the other end of the line. “That would be nice.” The man’s deep voice leaves off with a soft click

And that’s when Ong Seongwoo’s life became a mess. 


	2. Welcome to the Show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to update Last Impressions - but then I watched Dangerous Beyond the Blankets and wanted to work on this instead T.T damn you Daniel - constantly being my bias wrecker. 
> 
> *also fair warning: nothing major really happens here but this is an M rated story and I do make references to some M-rated topics in this chapter. kay thanks :)

“The conversation which took place at 11AM this morning was captured online immediately and earned a hot reaction for radio host Ong Seongwoo.

Ong Seongwoo has earned himself the title of ‘Radio-Visual’ as he’s garnered a lot of attention online for his stunning good looks. The anonymous caller’s identity remains unknown but certainly all of Seoul today is thanking him for introducing the world to this undiscovered gem.

Here's hoping we get to see Ong Seongwoo in the future! Until then, his new fans will just have to tune into his daily mid-morning show on 101.1 PRO FM.”

By the last words, Kim Doyeon is beside herself with laughter as she pushes her phone away from her laughing. “I’m sorry I can’t – what is this story? I think the reporter is a fan now Seongwoo. You should send her a DM and thank her for this article. Makes you sound like Prince Charming.” He can only narrow his eyes in a soft glare at his cousin when she reaches for the phone again and bursts out laughing. “And who the hell took this picture of you?!”

“It’s from my trainee days okay?! When I was trying to be an idol.” Seongwoo wails, his body slack against the chair. “I feel SO violated Doyeon. Like – I have all these strangers constantly checking me out. I swear my ass got grabbed on the subway on the way here – this is fucking weird. This guy ruined my life.”

“I think you’re being a bit harsh.” Seongwoo does not think he’s being harsh at all. “This guy is a secret admirer who got you a lot of attention. You should be thankful – your show ratings are going to go up which last time I checked was a really good thing for a mid-morning host because who the hell is listening to the radio anymore anyways?”

“Gee, thank you for insulting my career. I didn’t come to see my cousin on our weekly Thursday date so that my self-esteem could be shot to the freaking ground.” His grumbling has no effect on Doyeon. She's chosen to stare at the obscenely large rock on her left ring finger with a happy smile on her face.

It’s a habit that’s been in place pretty much all this year.

Maybe after the wedding she’ll finally lock-up that ridiculous diamond in a safe where it belongs. “Does Ong Seongwoo need a little bit of lovey dovey commentary from his favourite Doyeonnie?” She snickers at him. “You’re related to me. You’re way too pretty for radio as it is.“

Seongwoo beams, nodding bashfully like he already knew all of this. "Thank you, thank you!"

“But – to be honest you're that kind of beauty that is just a little bit off. You know like Carrot Cake! It’s so delicious and it looks okay too! But at some point - you just realize your mom conned you into eating vegetables."

“How did we get to the conversation where you insult my career and my looks on the same day a guy calls me to compliment me about both things?” Seongwoo looks at her pointedly as she shrugs weakly.

“I’m just being real, boo.”

“Please remind me why is it that the most perfect man to walk around Seoul, Hwang Minhyun literal CEO of half the freaking city, has decided that he wants to spend the rest of his life with the witch that is my family’s Kim Doyeon?”

At the mention of her fiancé, Doyeon immediately looks away from her ring and grins brightly. Seongwoo feels himself smile looking at her expression. It was always nice to see the effect that Minhyun had on Doyeon. In many ways, he made her a better person. “I don’t know – ask him at the wedding! Man, I can’t believe it’s coming so soon. In just a few weeks, I'll be married. It doesn’t feel real.” Her grin softens slightly as she leans over to ask quietly. “Hey, you took enough time off from work right? I need you there the whole time. A week before at least during set up, rehearsal, bachelorette, bachelor party, bridal shower – Minhyun and I both need you at EVERYTHING.”

“This is why destination weddings are weird Doyeon- you do everything all at once!” Seongwoo pretends to fake exhaustion. He's only joking of course, Minhyun was paying for everything – of course he was going to get down and party.

“Yeah but you do it, WHILE GETTING A TAN!” Doyeon brings her hands to her head and pretends to blow up a bomb. “Mind-fucking-blowing multi-tasking. Plus you’re basically my second maid of honour after Yoojung-“

“Stop telling people this, it’s fucking weird that I’m walking down the aisle with you as it is.” Seongwoo loves love and he loves Doyeon but it's still freaking weird that she's making him do this. “I only agreed to walk down the aisle because you said you were calling in one of the favours I owed you.”

“I love you.” Doyeon bites her tongue between her teeth. An expression that would look ridiculous on anyone but Kim Doyeon.

Even Seongwoo had to admit that with that stupid insipid look on her face Kim Doyeon still managed to look unrealistically beautiful. The type of beautiful that made perfect sense for a man like Hwang Minhyun who was made to rule with his rich, handsome and kind personality.

From a background perspective, Doyeon had 100% lucked out with Minhyun. Doyeon, like Seongwoo, came from a fairly modest middle class background and Hwang Minhyun and his friends – well-

His name said it all. He was practically royalty in Korea. “Anyways, you don’t really need to worry about anything. Of course I’ll be there – it’s Hawaii. For Free. Cause Minhyun and you are going to pay for everything. I’m not going to flop on Hawaii and an open bar.”

“You know – once in a while you could try being a nice guy. If your secret admirer found out about how opportunistic you were, I guarantee he wouldn’t be interested anymore. Plus, you get more pathetic by day Seongwoo-ya. I'm getting no cool action stories from you anymore. The only action you get in your life is when you hide behind your curtains and stare at your neighbour when he’s changing his clothes. It’s so creepy Seongwoo, please, PLEASE, find a new hobby.”

She isn’t wrong. That is all of the action Seongwoo has been getting lately – but it can’t be his fault! When his old wrinkly sour neighbour from the past had finally moved out, Seongwoo had decided he was going to shut the curtains once and for all.

So he'd stalked over to the curtains at his window angry at the world for making him afford a shitty apartment with a shitty view when he saw it.

The most perfect ass in the world.

How was he not supposed to keep the windows open at all times after that?

Every night he told himself he'd only check what his neighbour was doing for a few seconds while making dinner. It was just a little crush, like liking a hot actor on a T.V. screen!

But usually a few seconds became a few minutes, a burnt dinner and take out pizza. Still, Seongwoo couldn’t even bring himself to care because his hot blond neighbour's shoulders deserved every single ounce of attention Seongwoo could give them.

Sure, the guy was prone to sleep talking and snoring loudly at all hours of the night - but with a view that great, sleep was a small price for a very single Seongwoo to pay.

Noh Taehyun's anger at his perpetual lateness was just a sorry consequence.

Still, he has to at least pretend to defend himself in front of Doyeon. “Firstly, I didn’t want creepo on the phone to be interested in me in the first place! Secondly, shut up Doyeon…you don’t remember what it’s like but being single is tough.”

Even he has to admit his bad habit with his neighbour needs to stop. Tomorrow. Definitely tomorrow. Today's been a hard day. He can't just go cold turkey today and be expected to do it successfully.

"Well – anyways, I’m off. I’ve got a ton to do before the wedding.” Doyeon drops her megawatt black American Express card and Seongwoo doesn’t stop her. Doyeon is the one getting married to a chaebol. He is only a poor starving artist after all. “Hey, want to come help me? I can hire you as my personal assistant and then no one will touch your butt on the subway anymore.”

“I would except I literally have a million other things I’d rather be doing BEFORE I help you with anything related to the wedding of the century.” Plus, he usually likes to get home early, curl up with his cat, Princess Leia, and then watch horrible D-grade movies on Netflix so he can laugh at the bad jokes ironically.

Today was going to be 'From Prada to Nada'. He'd been looking forward to it all day!

Maybe Doyeon was right - he is pathetic. “Suit yourself – get your time off booked with your radio team and meet Yoojung on time at the airport in a few weeks! If you’re late to that like you are to everything, I’m going to kill you.” She sings the last bit which only adds to the overall freakiness of her words.

“Got it princess, Doyeon. Your second maid of honour will report in for duty.” On reflex, he feels his mouth smile when Doyeon’s lips land on his forehead affectionately.

Seongwoo gets up from his chair of contemplation and starts walking back to his apartment, stretching his tightly wound muscles.

On his way, he catches a few high schoolers give him a double take but no one bothers him, thankfully.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, Seongwoo had wanted to be famous, that had been the validation he had looked for from the public when he hadn’t found it anywhere else. His parents had never paid him too much attention for being extraordinary – they loved him sure but they never encouraged him to be more than mediocre.

So he chased the extraordinary dream of fame, the idea that he was meant for something better - that he would one day have a stronger purpose in his life than just working some 9-5 like a zombie.

A little over a year ago he had been told by his old agency that they wanted to abolish their relationship with him as a trainee. He was 26. He was old. He was done. Game over before he could even push the start button.

He'd pretty much lost all hope - like his whole world had crumbled because fame was never going to come for him.

Then he had discovered this job quite by accident, a friend of a friend had set him up with Taehyun on a bad date. The date had gone horribly. Taehyun hated him at first sight - but had also unwillingly admitted there was something extraordinarily funny about him. He was hired on the spot.

Being a radio DJ meant he was close enough to the spotlight to touch it but to never truly enter it- he'd never be scrutinized and maybe his parents had been right. Based on his current reaction to the smallest of attentions he'd gotten this morning – he really wasn’t cut out for super stardom and the criticism that came with it.

He opens the door to his house to be greeted by his tabby grey cat with green eyes, mewing softly at his legs. “Princess, did you miss me? I missed you too beautiful.” Leia purrs into his hand, making him smile as he winks at her. “Hey? Did I miss anything yet? Has the show started?”

For the past four months, since that one glorious day where he was blessed by the gods and given Adonis as a neighbour, Seongwoo has done one thing and one thing only the moment he got home.

Well okay, he does usually go to pee before the show BUT AFTER he pees then he only has one thing he does.

He goes to his window to see what his hot neighbour is up to that night. Sometimes he’s not home – but since his Princess Leia is almost smiling at him Seongwoo takes it as a hint that he should go continue their nightly ritual of creepily staring into other people’s houses.

He marches carefully to the curtains and peeks his head through the edge of the fabric to see-

The most perfect butt he had ever seen.

Thank heavens, after the day he'd had - he deserved a butt day. Seongwoo immediately wraps himself up in his curtains, a failed effort at hiding himself, honestly.

Seongwoo often wondered why this guy’s butt was on display so often. Was he aware that there were windows below and above Seongwoo’s perfectly angled one that could also check out ‘the Show’?

For example, did he like showing his butt off? Did he do squats in his spare time? Were they wide or narrow legged? How did one achieve such a roundly shape?

There were just so many questions. All scientific of course.

In the end, Seongwoo couldn’t ask his cute neighbour any of these things because they’d never really spoken and somehow Seongwoo had managed to conceal his very criminal habit for better or worse.

He felt himself flinch when the man turned around but didn’t look straight at him.

Seongwoo, however, did get a full unobstructed view of his neighbour's body for the very first time and felt his eyes widen.

Well - wasn't that something.

Okay maybe this was a better show than a D-grade Netflix show. He’s tempted to grab popcorn and place himself directly in front of the window in one of those old people lawn chairs but the opportunity passes as his neighbour has put boxers on almost immediately and seemed to be staring confused at two options of clothing on his bed.

One option was a dark red shirt that would definitely bring out the dusty blond in his hair and the other was a fresh crisp white shirt that would highlight the beauty that was his pale white skin. “Go with the red.”

He only realizes three seconds later when his neighbour turns around to look at him confused that Seongwoo has opened his mouth and ruined his life. Twice. In One Day.

Okay, maybe Doyeon was right – Seongwoo did need help. A lot of help.

His neighbour looks as mortified as Seongwoo feels. He also looks like he’s contemplating calling the police at this very instant. “Uhm - Thanks?” The guy obviously has no idea what else to say.

“Ah – I mean I just got home and needed fresh air,” He tries to casually unwrap himself from between the curtains to make it look like he hadn’t just been hiding there and staring at the guy’s pelvis. “And you looked confused – like just now-when I just got home- you know?“ He should have just left it at one ‘just got home’ he was sure he said it twice. “Hi I’m your neighbour, Seongwoo!” He waves brightly, trying to recuperate his lost reputation.

He’s going to jail.

If this is the punishment he gets from god for staring creepily at the most perfect ass he’s ever seen for the past four months then FINE – SEONGWOO WILL TAKE IT.

Thankfully, the man is not calling the cops. Instead, he’s started laughing and Seongwoo feels his heart pump harder. Is it possible for someone to have a piece of the sun in their smile? This guy certainly did. Seongwoo had never seen someone light up like this before. He was almost jealous. “Ah, hi – I mean you’re right. The red would be better. I guess the white looks a bit too formal?”

“A little.” He agrees. Okay, maybe he wasn’t going to prison today. Maybe he actually had a chance to talk to the guy he’d wanted to sleep with pretty much since the moment he saw him. “Heading out for a night on the town?” This is Seongwoo's pathetic attempt at small talk.

Blond God in front of him doesn't seem to notice what a try-hard he is and smiles again. He suddenly laughs for no apparent reason other than just to laugh.

Seongwoo has literally never seen a smile this beautiful. This man’s entire face lights up like someone has plugged him into an invisible energy source, and suddenly the man is hopping on his feet in a weirdly commercialized gesture. “Forced to?”

“Forced to?” Seongwoo repeats dumbly - he's still a bit confused and starstruck. How can someone laugh this much for no reason?

“Ah it’s a work thing. Hazard of the occupation. I’m a model.” Colour him shocked. Seongwoo thinks about whether he should be sharing his own information but considering he'd just been embarrassed and made a viral superstar he decides to remain anonymous. “Well, thanks for your help. Have a good night.”

This is obviously a dismissal and even though Seongwoo wants to insist they keep talking he knows this is already too inappropriate so he nods his head. He wants to end off with some witty line that would floor the man in the window across from him but all he can come up with is-

_Hot damn._

That may not work out so well, especially if his neighbour is straight – so he’d leave his perfect stranger alone.

He doesn’t however shut the curtains. Fifteen minutes pass as he hunts down 'From Prada to Nada' and cooks today's meal (candy and popcorn of course).

It's only once he's on his couch ready to start the movie that he realizes that his cushion for the evening, Princess Leia, is not glued to his feet. She's stuck mewing at the window.

Well if she's going to give him an excuse to go see if his handsome stranger was still there then god damn it- Seongwoo was not going to let his cat down!

As he approached the window, happily changed into an old T-shirt and some sweats, Seongwoo found his breath catching in his throat.

His neighbour's straw hair is perfectly pieced together in a semi-wet style, the top three buttons of the man's dark red shirt are left unbuttoned. The edges of his shirt are tucked neatly into a pair of perfectly black tight pants that only work wonders for his already amazing bottom.

Seongwoo wants to barge over there and ask for permission to completely annihilate all of blond man’s hard work in getting himself dressed.

He really needs to go on a date.

Unfortunately, he's caught staring again but this time his neighbour doesn't appear to feel as uncomfortable. “Ah Seongwoo-“ Seongwoo feels his heart skip a beat - the guy remembered his name? “You have a cat?”

“Yeah- Leia’s a pain, sorry didn’t mean to come bother you-“

“No, no it’s fine! Wait a sec.” The man grins brightly at him as he walks away from the window leaving Seongwoo confused.

Blond God comes back with two bundles of joy in his hands. “This is Peter and I can’t name this one yet but I just got it! They were going to put it down at the shelter I volunteer at but it looked at me-“

No wait - his hot neighbour is packing heat, has a piece of the sun in his freaking face and volunteers at an animal shelter?

Seongwoo has no choice but to fall further into his infatuation with the model who lives next door.

“He’s cute!” He points at Peter but really he's talking about the human holding him.

Blond God doesn't seem to notice as he playfully tickles Peter who growls in his arms. “Ah - Peter's a she.”

Seongwoo raises a singular eyebrow. “I can see now why you keep calling the other cat ‘It’.”

“I always have trouble with body parts. Can never tell them apart.” He laughs jokingly. Seongwoo has a snarky reply on his tongue but he holds it back because he has to remind himself he's not friends with his neighbour. “Anyways, I’m heading out but if Peter or this little one get bored just keep them entertained?”

“Sure. I’ll leave Leia out – I’m sure she’ll be happy for the company.”

His handsome neighbour leaves him, locking the door behind him and Peter approaches the window slowly. “Yo - Peter-" The cat doesn't respond to him. Understandable - he is a cat after all. “Quick question - how single is your owner?"

Unlike Leia, who is pretty much a genius, Peter stares back at him dumbly. "Okay fine - don't tell me. You are rude friend. Rude. Guess what - Leia's not single either. So you keep your paws off her!"

Doyeon is so right - he does need help.

Regardless - as shitty as this day has been Seongwoo still feels remarkably happy as he finally settles down with his popcorn on the sofa with Leia.

He's finally met him.


	3. Drink Up Me Hearty's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's just less emotionally taxing to write this compared to Collide guys T.T but I'm going to write Collide soon too - I just have to debate with myself internally on whether I want JR's POV in there or not T.T
> 
> BUT IN THE MEAN-TIME I'm updating this without it's sister-fic update.

“AND TO OUR RISING SUPER STAR ONG SEONGWOO JJANG! Thank you for getting us all better ratings this season than we could have hoped for!”

This is weird. Taehyun congratulating him for doing a good job?

Hell had frozen over. "So how many drinks are you buying me?" Seongwoo leans over to call the bar maid who catches his eye and winks at him. Who is he to deny a fan? He feels himself cheekily wink back but only because he knows she's actually just flirting for tips.

What a dame. "Is it okay that we split a shot for you?" 

"God - Taehyun if even you are this broke, then there's no hope for us. And please stop thanking me. I haven't done anything that great."

Jisung claps a hand on Seongwoo’s back. "Yeah, it's not like Seongwoo ever does anything that important. This was all part of my master plan. I show up late, Seongwoo is a complete fool and lets people call him without screening calls first and then -”  

From across the table, Jisung is interrupted by the sound of Kang Mina blearily burping and hiccuping. A sure sign that she had drank way too much. Time to switch her vodka to water. 

“Jisung oppa, it’s not because of you though – it’s that guy- we should be thanking him.” Mina holds her fingers up in a tell-tale K-pop heart and squees. “Anonymous-jjang! 101.1 jjang!”

Seongwoo feels his spine stiffen as he scoffs tossing a peanut from a questionable complimentary bowl at their dive bar into his mouth.

Does he have to  ** _really_**  hear about that guy again?

Like he hasn’t already heard about this stupid stranger multiple times the past four weeks – literally every variety/radio show he’d been invited to guest on he had to relay and regurgitate the same story.

He also had to recycle the same answer that  _“No! Of course I  don’t know who that guy is and no! It wasn’t one of my friends pretending to call me so I’d get free publicity on the radio and everyone would know who I was.”_

 “I forgot Mina, I forgot.” Jisung nods. “To King Anonymous who has given the mid-morning team a spike in ratings!”

“Seongwoo – you going out and promoting our station is helping a lot too. Thank you.” Mina bows her head smiling at him gratefully until her head literally becomes too heavy for her to hold up and she’s crashed head-first on the table.

The boys all wait around looking at her form, she doesn't prop back up energetically. 

“Well – that’s one out.” Taehyun patted her hair lovingly. He always did take better care of her as the only girl on their team. "She was never a champion drinker to begin with. That was always Sungwoon." 

“Is Sungwoon really not coming?” Despite knowing the answer, Jisung's eyes have already started scanning the room for their celebrity morning host. Sungwoon used to be part of their afternoon team when Seongwoo had first joined.

A few weeks in though, Sungwoon had been promoted when their morning show had went through a massive rebranding. Who better to champion the new show but a fresh cute face from their already intimate family at 101.1?

Even Seongwoo couldn’t think of someone else who literally embodied the word ‘fresh’ better than Ha Sungwoon. He had a feeling Taehyun had a lot to do with his promotion but his boss would never admit to manhandling the promotion for Sungwoon out of upper management.

Responding to Jisung's question, Seongwoo hears equal tones of bitterness and amusement in Noh Taehyun's voice. “When does he come out for shit anymore? Even with Mr.Hot Pants here on his heels – he’s still our morning superstar. He's probably busy with his scripting team right now.”

"Gross - why am I called Mr.Hot Pants?"

"Well you're hot on his pants - your potential is strong Seongwoo. Upper management is already talking about you sharing the booth with Sungwoon. You're doing excellent on the other media forums - you may even get a pay raise out of this."

That is certainly news to his ears. "Ew." 

“What Ong Seongwoo – what can you POSSIBLY have to complain about now? You don’t want to get promoted to the morning show?”

“And lose my sleep? No thank you. I prefer mid-morning far more than to waking up at ungodly hours.”

"Take me! Take me!" Jisung sticks his hands up as Taehyun tuts at him.

"You're not the one we're moving - you stay where you are. Seongwoo why wouldn't you want to move? It's much more  money and you'll even become kind of fa–“ Taehyun is interrupted by the sound of Seongwoo's phone.

When Seongwoo glances down at his iPhone and sees Yoojung’s name on the display he groans shoving his phone away from him.

He hates weddings. He hates planning events and more than everything he definitely hates overbearing Maids of Honor like Choi Yoojung.

So yeah, contrary to what Taehyun believed he actually did have a lot to complain about.

For one thing, the past four weeks have been a barely recognizable mess of him running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off – all his free hours are being spent promoting 101.1 PRO FM.

On top of that, there's the wedding related activities that have taken over his sleeping time. He's spent time rehearsing his co-speech with Yoojung at her place, he's made 'flower garlands and crowns', he even baked a cake for Minhyun's mother that didn't even get all the way to her for god's sake (in all honesty, it was probably for the best - he had used salt instead of sugar).

And the most unfortunate thing of all was that after the time he spoke up in front of his neighbour - he hadn't been able to get a ticket to 'The Show'. 

Okay, so maybe that last one is his own fault.

He was the one who engaged his hot window-dweller in friendly conversation and now- instead of partaking in ‘The Show’, he’s forced to have the ‘Talk Show’ every night.

But, if Seongwoo was going to be entirely honest, which he wasn't, he'd admit that he'd started looking forward to going home even more than before. 

He really can't be blamed. Living that close to someone so bright and friendly would mess with anyone’s head. Seongwoo was starting to feel like he had a 'family'.

After all, coming home to the same person's face waving brightly at you from their couch, watching T.V. and making casual conversation with you like it wasn’t a big deal that you barely knew each other - that was what family did right?

It had gotten so bad they'd recently started even watching the same things on completely separate couches so they could talk about it through the windows.

But, hell if he’s telling any of these fools all of the mess his personal life had become in the span of a month. “I am not complaining –“ Taehyun looks at him pointedly laughing as he pours his friend a delicately crafted soju bomb that Seongwoo reaches for quickly. “I’m just tired.”

“I don’t blame you – now when you’re late I don’t even yell at you anymore.”

“No, you just yell more at me.” Jisung turns to look at Taehyun who is cackling like a little child banging his hands on his legs. “Ya Seongwoo, how many more shots do you think he has before he starts taking his clothes off again?”

“3 more? That’ll get you up to shirt level but after that I leave naked Taehyun in your capable hands, my friend – I’m already getting annoyed by my Maid of Honor who needs me to go home and make ‘paper flowers’ for the back drop with handwritten notes from each of her bridesmaids.”

Jisung raises one eyebrow at him. “Dude – what?”

Seongwoo reciprocates. “Dude-what?”

“What the-“

“What the-“ He mimics watching Jisung’s big throbby vein pop out in his forehead. “You’re so easy to mess with Jisung.”

“Ong, fuck the fuck off. Why do you have the mental capacity of a 8 year old? That was childish man. When is this wedding going to be done anyways?"

"When I die- because Yoojung won't stop till then." He grumbles downing a hefty portion of his drink.

“You know you should really try more to find out who the guy actually is Seongwoo. We’re not the only ones who are going to keep asking.” Jisung sips on his overly large margarita with a flare of annoyance in his gaze. Seongwoo would try to make fun of him but he’d been through enough bar hops with Jisung to know the man could not handle anything that was not a fruity icy concoction of sugary poison. 

Seongwoo tries not to act too fake, but fails entirely as he claps his hands together squealing in a high pitched voice. “Gee, thank you Yoon Jisung-sensei! Should I put out an ad?”

“I have a new idea for a segment!” Mina suddenly screams perking up brightly scaring Taehyun into what Seongwoo is sure is an early grave. Well - okay maybe with his stress level Taehyun was already half way there anyway. “We'll do a new segment on the show - Ong Seongwoo telephone date! The bachelor live on the radio-“

At this point, making paper flowers for Yoojung is starting to sound like a better use of his time before his writer comes up with something more ridiculous. “Okay, before you crazies come up with another way to suck out my blood – I’m going to go home now. Thank you for the drinks and see you losers on Monday morning.”  

He’s about to leave when Taehyun reaches over grabs Seongwoo’s hands in his. “Seongwoo-ya, I think you’re becoming jaded, you’re starting to sound like me. Don’t let the business get to you Seongwoo! Don’t let it get to you!”

Oh hell yeah, Taehyun was definitely drunk. “God, then I really should run away. How long do I have before my handsome good looks deteriorate to the point of no return? How long did it take for you hyung?" Jisung snickers at Taehyun's irritated expression. He tries to twist Seongwoo’s hand but Taehyun's mischevious radio host has already twisted away from his boss.

“Whatever you’re going on a trip for like a week and a half soon anyways- that’s why we’re working you a like a dog right now-”

“Is that why? I thought it was because I was the only good looking one at the station –“ Mina immediately  bursts out crying as Seongwoo feels his eyes widen and Taehyun growls at him. “WHAT? I couldn't have caused that!”

Jisung clucks his tongue as he pats Mina on the shoulder encouragingly but the girl continues to cry. “You know Mina’s boyfriend just broke up with her –“

“SO?” Seongwoo isn’t good at feelings. In general, he sucks at having them and he also sucks at understanding that the things he says affect other people’s feelings even if he doesn't mean for it to.

It’s really what makes him what makes him such a great radio host. For god’s sake – he’s holding a daily pop music talk show, what do people expect from him? He's no Fraiser Crane. 

How was he supposed to know he’s supposed to care for Mina all the time?

“SO – Just - you know- Mina cries about everything lately?” 

“HOW COULD HE DO THAT TO ME? Joo Jinwoo you wait! You wait I’m going to show you!”

“Show him- what exactly?” Taehyun has immediately pulled out a napkin from his shirt in a move that is surprisingly gentlemanly. When Mina doesn't make a move to grab it from him and wipe her own tears away, Taehyun kindly pushes them away. 

All Seongwoo can think is who the hell even walks around with napkins tucked away in their pants nowadays?

Taehyun liked to act like the big bad wolf but, in reality, he was more like a fluffy wild rabbit - scary but not nearly intimidating enough. “Well – my friends, as compelling as this conversation on Mina’s feelings is- I’m out. I have a great night planned-“

Jisung waves him off. “Yes, yes go watch your stupid movies and cuddle with your cat, you big loner.” 

Well, best to just turn around and pretend he couldn't hear them. “Whatever, you guys aren’t that fun anyways.” He doesn't bother glancing back, the situation probably hadn't changed and Mina was probably still bawling her eyes out.

Tears did always make him uncomfortable.

When he finally steps out of the dark bar he groans at the bright light of the sun. He'd forgotten - it was barely 6PM, they'd ducked into the bar soon after work. Day drinking was always a bad idea - but it did leave his evenings to himself.

He didn't like hearing it but at the end of the day, Jisung isn’t wrong – he is a loner. He always has been. If he was honest with himself, Seongwoo knew that the reason he preferred being alone was because then there were less variables to work off in his life.

He liked relying on himself, he liked being able to predict his day-to-day and he liked that he could never disappoint someone else.

The walk to his house feels particularly quick today, and it's probably because of the blessed effect of the alcohol making his world spin quicker than it would normally. He walks in through his front door and crashes into his couch groaning. He could just fall asleep now - but he usually didn't like going to bed drunk.

He shouldn't have had that last soju bomb.

"Seongwoo you're home!"

To say he's caught off guard by the sound of his overly bright neighbour's voice is an understatement. Seongwoo almost throws up on himself.

Thankfully, through some god gifted blessing the contents of his stomach manage to remain safely encapsulated in his body so he can pretend to be okay in front of the hot guy whose name he still does not know. "Hi, yeah I’m home.” He turns to look at the man across from him, bowing his head respectfully in greeting.

He tries not to let his heart speed up when he observes that the guy is literally dressed in an apron, smiling brightly at him in his fluffy wool blue sweater and light blue ripped jeans. "Welcome home!"

Seongwoo feels his heart hitch in his throat - the guy is the picture of domestication - and, god help him, adorable. Like a character out of a manga or something equally nonsensical.

He's unreal. “Not working today?” He's trying to keep his voice casual but Seongwoo knows he's probably failing.

“No work today! So, I thought I’d bake some cake.” Like magic, he brandishes a whisk from outside the frame of the window.

From his limited exposure to this guy - he'd never seen the guy try once to actually feed himself. “Do you know how to cook?”

“No – so I ordered pizza so I could bake in peace without 'hanger'. Do you want some? Pizza, I mean.” 

“You ordered pizza – while you baked?” Seongwoo wants to laugh at him but he settles for a tightly wound smile sucked up into his lips. “Sure, did you get toppings?”

If he got toppings, they could have issues - Seongwoo actually hated toppings but most people got suckered in for that shit. The real key was always adding extra cheese anyways.

“I'm more of an au naturel kind of guy. I like my pizza the way I like my pajamas. Nothing to cover up my cheese." He winks at him playfully and Seongwoo starts coughing. Okay, that could just be a joke - relax Seongwoo relax. He's not talking about sleeping naked. "You okay? Wait a sec - I'll go grab the pizza."

"Fine. Fine." He's still coughing, clutching onto his throat for air because despite the fact that they'd had many a casual conversation like this over the last four weeks, three very critical topics had never quite been touched on:

  * Seongwoo had never volunteered his career and if his neighbour recognized him - he never brought it up
  * Despite the fact his neighbour was obviously someone in the spotlight – Seongwoo had never bothered to find out his name
  * They never ever talked about how they started talking (also known as the time Seongwoo almost went to jail for being a creep)



When Seongwoo turns back to look at the window he feels his cheeks flush despite themselves. It's remarkable how innocent this guy looks like this - he's moving the hot plate from hand to hand, mouth parted in a perfect 'O' as he reached over the gap between them, carefully handing the plate over to Seongwoo through the window.

“I’ll wash it and return it.” He manages to mumble as he leaned over just managing to grab the plate before it slipped from his neighbour's hands. 

“That was close!” The man claps his hands together before waving them in Seongwoo’s direction. “Don’t worry – it’s just a window away if I ever need it again anyways. This is already miles better than my last living arrangement-“

“Yeah?” He has to be more relaxed with this guy. He has to remind himself they don't know each other and the most he could expect out of this weird arrangement was some weird sort of friendship. So he makes it a point to eat his pizza as disgustingly as possible sauce splattering all over his face. Who does he have to impress here? No one. No one. No one.

Tomato sauce splatters in his eyes. Oh god, wipe your mouth Ong Seongwoo you're a mess. “What are we like – roommates now?” He blurts out between chewing mouthfuls of the bread.

His eating habits are doing nothing to disgust the guy in front of him. Weirdly, it's making him laugh more as he happily looks at him, eyes crinkled in a remarkably sweet smile. “Well, we do talk every day Seongwoo and we're only a few steps away from each other - you don’t feel like that?”

This would be the perfect time to bring up that if they were actually roommates Seongwoo would know his name by now and yet the words get stuck in his mouth because in some weird way - knowing his name ruins the fantasy.

His name is a way to bring this man out of the window and Seongwoo isn't quite sure he wants to do that yet.  “It's okay I guess... I finally have a friendly face to come home to?" His response is so lacklustre he's expecting the man to feel deflated but instead, as usual, he starts cackling away. So, Seongwoo takes another angry bite of his pizza, wiping at his mouth lazily with his hands. “What are you laughing at me for?”

“Nothing nothing – you just look so – hungry. It's funny, I've never seen someone eat like that." Seongwoo turns to look in the mirror and stretches his mouth open. Well there’s nothing stuck in his teeth. “Want another slice?”

The question comes with a tone of care, one that he's not used to. “Sure-“ Seongwoo says before he can catch himself.

He feels his heart skip a beat as he takes in the image of his neighbour running around his house, healthily adding creamy garlic dipping sauce on a new plate with three more slices of pizza. Seongwoo has to reach over through the window and grab the pizza again, the more he leans over to reach the guy -  the more comfortable he feels. "I even gave you dipping sauce man - you better appreciate that. I don't give just anyone dipping sauce."

"Wow - if you keep giving me your stuff like this - we really will become roommates." He snickers. "Also thanks for this - I know I'm eating like a pig but I’m super hungry because I went out day drinking."

"Nice! I should come next time." Seongwoo widens his eyes but doesn't say a word as he dips his pizza into the sauce and continues to eat. His neighbour leans against the window frame. "Why'd you come back home if you were out with your friends? They're probably still drinking right?"

"I'm really anti-social-"

"I wouldn't say that - you're the one who spoke to me first." He points out and Seongwoo wants to add that was completely by mistake but catches himself before he lets the words out.

This guy can't know he didn't mean to speak up that day. He can't know that Seongwoo had been staring at him for so long - not only would that be embarrassing, weird, and illegal - 

But it would ruin whatever this already was and as uncomfortable as Seongwoo was with their new enjoyable dynamic - he still didn't want to let go of it.

"Yeah, but - you know it's Friday - I could go out and regret the decisions I make or sit in here and regret the decisions I make. Eitherways Leia is better company than my friends anyways and I have some ridiculous wedding stuff to work on."  

All traces of a smile vanish from the sunny man's face. “You’re getting married?”  Seongwoo immediately feels his mouth stop chewing when the pizza lodges in his throat again. What was this? The day Seongwoo drinks and chokes because his esophagus has forgotten how to work? “Oh no- shit are you okay? Seongwoo? Crap!” He's running around his house again - worried, making all sorts of clatter and noise looking for a glass of water only belatedly realizing that he has no way to cross the gap between their houses to deliver said water to Seongwoo while he's literally choking.

While slowly dying, Seongwoo considers that if Doyeon saw him like this she would definitely tut at him. Here he was, literally choking to death because his neighbour had basically become his live-in friend with no benefits. 

Eventually he manages to haul himself to water in his own kitchen. When he takes a deep breath to steady his heart he hears the man ask from afar again. “Seongwoo, are you okay?”

He's angry. He's confused. He's drunk.

Who is this guy at the end of the day? He’s no one.

He’s no one. He’s no one.

As he turns around repeating the mantra and takes a look at him again he finds his resolve to call the man no one fails.

He's a little better than no one. It's cruel to make this man an object. He's not an escape. He's not a toy. He's actually kind of nice and sweet - but Seongwoo isn't ready for nice and sweet. “I’m fine – sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

“With the choking or the wedding?” He looks at him carefully and Seongwoo feels his gaze narrow at him.

“I’m not getting married. It’s a friend – I’m helping with the wedding stuff though. It’s a pain.”

“Ah I have a wedding this summer too. I’m just walking down the aisle though. It’s in a few days actually! So, it’s not as painful for me I guess.”

Seongwoo debates telling the guy that he’ll be travelling in a week – that he won’t be home for many days and that they won’t see each other and talk for hours and get to know each other –

But he doesn’t get to say anything as he gets a call from Yoojung and groans.

“Important?” The man across the window asks and Seongwoo looks down at his phone and up at him. “I should get back to baking anyways.” He stands at the window frame, Seongwoo's phone keeps ringing and Seongwoo looks up at him.

Then he leaves. Seongwoo purposefully doesn’t say bye as he walks away from the man and into his bedroom.

He ignores Yoojung’s call and crashes into the bed.

He’s not sure if it’s the alcohol or the man across the window but he feels emotionally exhausted as he lets sleep take over and lets his mind fall into a dizzy dream of him being swallowed by a pool of fluffy blue wool.

It's warm. It's nice. It's comforting.

But he's suffocating already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also because I can't wait for your reactions to the next chapter lol - a bit of a teaser :D!
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> "You barely showed up on time for the proposal – Dongho had to go pick you up from the strip club – “
> 
>  “Uhm that was a Christmas party as I told you- it’s not my fault my boss likes to get drunk, get naked and play in the snow.” Jisung had taken pictures, it was great. Taehyun was basically the hottest mess of the night. “Also why you sent Dongho of all people-“
> 
> _“You guys are so similar!”_
> 
> _“I know that’s the problem.” Seongwoo grumbled rolling his eyes._


	4. Paradise is a Mess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is my fav. chapter yet :D 
> 
> BC THE WEDDING STARTED Y'ALL (yay)

“SEONGWOO!” Doyeon welcomes him brightly. “You came on time!”

He did come on time but at no small expense. Seongwoo was jet-lagged, and tired after lifting five heavy suitcases, four of which weren't even HIS! “Yoojung threatened bodily harm. She also told me to rush down here to the welcome luncheon because the cab was late - and then that bitch went in the shower by herself and now I'm here downstairs - smelly, and gross, but yes I'm here on time."

“Just like I made her! Don't hate her too much - she is getting all of the dirty work as Maid of Honor you know, she might as well look clean doing it.” Doyeon sticks her tongue out playfully as she lays a hand on her ‘to-be-husband’s chest. “We had a bet. Minhyun didn’t believe you’d make it till tomorrow because you’d sleep in and miss the flight.”

“Appalling Minhyun. I thought we were basically best friends at this point but you talk shit about me behind my back?” Seongwoo grins as Minhyun comes over and envelopes him into a bear hug immediately despite protests from Seongwoo about his scent.

He's not surprised. Minhyun isn't the type of rich guy who is superficial, in fact he's the complete opposite - like Princess Diana re-incarnated. Seongwoo smiles into his shoulders.

He loves Minhyun like he's family already.

In fact, since their first meeting Seongwoo couldn't help but walk away with a soft spot for the man - unlike his behaviour with Doyeon, Seongwoo could never really bring himself to be mean to Minhyun. 

He blamed his eyes. Minhyun's eyes looked perpetually sad, melancholic and thoughtful, like they were lost in memories he never cared to fully reveal.

How could Seongwoo make a man who already looked so sad look even sadder? Even if it was just as a joke?

As the years went on, before Seongwoo even had a chance to realize it and pull himself back, he'd become protective of a man who could definitely take care of himself. Hwang Minhyun had become as important to him as Kim Doyeon - a feat accomplished by a very few number of people in his life. “Don't be too offended!" Minhyun laughs into his ears as they part. "I'm only speaking from prior experience. You barely showed up on time for the proposal – and we had to get Dongho to go pick you up from the strip club – “

“Uhm that was a Christmas party as I told you- and it’s not my fault my boss likes to get drunk, get naked and play in the snow.” Jisung had taken pictures, it was great. Taehyun was basically the hottest mess of the night. For like five months after, Seongwoo had his half-naked boss as his phone wallpaper. “Also why you sent Dongho of all people-“

“You guys are so similar!” Doyeon winks at him. 

“I know that’s the problem.” Seongwoo grumbles back, rolling his eyes. “And HEY! I was there when it mattered Minhyun – when you finally paid for the drinks. God, this man acts like I don’t care about the two of you more than my life itself.” A waiter passes them and Seongwoo uses the chance to grab a flute of champagne from his tray. He deserved some alcohol after lugging Choi Yoojung's four bags from the airport to the hotel. “I don’t by the way – care about you two more than my life, just enough to get free drinks.”

Minhyun pushes his knuckles into Seongwoo’s head jokingly. “What a freeloader. If you weren’t so funny I’d honestly worry about your livelihood.” Somewhere between more laughs and conversations, Seongwoo ends up in the sandwich single Seongwoo often finds himself in- the Minhyun-Doyeon sandwich. It’s not a horrible place to be – at least they’re all ridiculously beautiful, tall and intimidating together. “So – you’re going to be walking down the aisle-”

“I’m walking down an ‘AISLE’? Like a literal AISLE?” Seongwoo looked at Doyeon. “GOD - You need more female friends Doyeon- you’re too fucking weird.”

“Hey asshole –“ Doyeon snaps her fingers in front of his face. “I have enough female friends. I just really want you there with me, every step of the way.” In a surprising turn of emotions, Doyeon nuzzles into his cheek as Seongwoo grimaces at the overt display of affection.

"Ew, please stop. It's already creepy enough both of you are hugging me like this." 

"Sorry can't - love you too much." Doyeon winks at Minhyun who flushes bright red and snickers awkwardly. 

"As I was saying, before you two started like you always do, Seongwoo, you’re going to be walking down the aisle with my nephew.” Minhyun watches Seongwoo's eyebrow twitch with barely concealed laughs and Seongwoo immediately feels the need to hit the sad man over the head.

This was great – he was going to be walking down a wedding aisle with an 8 year old.

He could already imagine the aunties and uncles gossiping about him.

_"Seongwoo's without a plus one, AGAIN hanging with the kid’s table."_

_"Such a handsome boy - you know-"_

_"Too handsome - too funny - he's too much for any one person no?"_

Absentmindedly, he finds his eyes straying around the room to look for his mother but Doyeon pulls his attention back to her, whispering into his ears. “I swear, it’s not that bad! He’s really cute.” 

“I’m sure. I’ll get the cutest one of the 8 year olds.” Seongwoo groaned despite his resolve to not be a party pooper on their ‘special day x7’. “Dongho’s still your best man?”

“Yeah – you’re not walking down with him don’t worry. He said he'd officially end our friendship if I did that to him."

“Yeah I don’t think he’s forgiven me for that one time I snaked a guy from him. I’d rather not.” Seongwoo rubbed his head bashfully. Though to be honest, Kang Dongho should never have been that petty from the start. First of all, he was the one who bet that he could get the guy to go home with him instead of Seongwoo - and when he lost he became a bitter asshole.

If anything, Kang Dongho should thank him  – that guy had been horrible in bed and worse at leaving the morning after. Seongwoo had done the music genius a favour really, his back had been out for a week and a half after.

Though he doubted that Dongho would see it that way. "So, who's the lucky guy who gets to walk down the aisle with me?"

“His name is Daniel.” Minhyun acknowledges.

“Is that what our little Eui-geonnie is going by now?” Doyeon is snickering. “I thought that was just the name he used at work. Can’t we call him by his real name?”

“He hates his real name.” Minhyun snickers. “His father really wasn’t thinking about vowels. He had it legally changed Doyeon-ah, we should try to at least make him feel like we’re going to listen to him this time around.”

Seongwoo scoffs. “Well with a name like that- Eui- Equi-“

“Ah- I see you’ve heard about their little arrangement.” A familiar voice speaks from behind them and immediately chills race their way up and down Seongwoo's spine like the mere sound of this man's deep voice can play him like a god damn piano. 

Oh.

Shit.

Deep breaths, Seongwoo. He probably doesn't recognize you yet, turn around slowly - slowly -

When he finally makes it and his eyes take in his neighbour's stupid tacky Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts he's floored - how can someone make that obviously old uncle outfit look that good? Oh right, he was a model- he made shit clothing look good for a living but dear god - did he have to stand there, smiling at him like he'd seen an old friend after years with a glass of beer in his hands that had an umbrella in it?

An umbrella - for purely decorative purposes of course – you can't be in Hawaii and not have an umbrella in your drink - as ridiculous as it looked in a glass of BEER.

“AH- You’re Ong Seongwoo?!” He looks so happy. He looks like he's excited. "Wow - we're here together too!"

Seongwoo - does not look the same. He manages a barely croaked out. “You’re Euigeon?!”

“Please- it’s Daniel.” He relents as Seongwoo grins nervously, looking around the other three people who are nervously glancing at each other as Seongwoo looks like he's literally having a mental breakdown.

“Uh – Doyeon – can we – uh? You know what – I really need Doyeon right now.” Without waiting for approval from Minhyun and his ‘nephew’, Seongwoo grabs Doyeon’s arm and pulls her into the first free room he can find which thankfully in a resort this big is another banquet hall being prepped for another wedding.

Good - this means he can’t possibly embarrass Doyeon by telling her about his predicament in front of her other guests. “Uhm – that is Minhyun’s nephew?!” Seongwoo is really trying hard to not shriek.

He is doing a horrible job.

Doyeon looks arrogantly proud as if she expected Seongwoo to completely lose his shit on seeing Kang Euigeon, or, he adds in a husky tone of voice in his mind, 'Daniel'. “Hey, don’t look at me – I told you he was cute as a button.”

Seongwoo feels his face crumble quickly into an unamused look. “Kim Doyeon, that man is a god. You do not call a sex god like him cute as a button. That my friend is false advertising. I should report you. Off with your head.”

“You know, _drama queen_ , I knew this was coming but- not in the first five seconds of meeting this guy.” Doyeon winks at him. “The thirst here is too real Seongwoo. You need to take it down a notch. This is a classy wedding. At least, that's what Minhyun’s mom thinks but - ” Doyeon has a mischevious smile on her face. “You’re taking care of my bachelorette right? It's going to be 'LIT A F' right? Please, tell me I don't have to worry about that too.”

“You know I am, so, can you please relax? I wouldn’t let Yoojung touch that with a 10 foot pole.” He groans weakly shutting his eyes but to no avail, he can't escape Daniel’s perfect smile accompanied by an even more perfect something else flittering across his mind’s eye. “Also, you don’t get it. There's a reason I'm freaking out. I'm not just mental. Doyeon, I LIVE beside Daniel.”

Doyeon still does not get it. She still thinks this is a great thing. “That’s great! He’s the neighbour you’ve been thirsting over! Now you can finally actually make a connection with him!”

“No it’s not! Doyeon! I’VE SEEN HIM get dressed. I CANNOT walk down the aisle with him. I REFUSE.”

Doyeon is now wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, which in any other situation would have made perfect sense. The problem was – as they spoke – Kang Daniel was in the other room probably confused and freaked out that Ong Seongwoo ran away with the bride the moment he saw him. “I think that’s all the more reason you should be excited to do that with him! You obviously like him! Kind of? Right?”

“Doyeon – this is too big a commitment of weirdness. It’s massive. I can’t do this!”

“Instead of this- don’t you mean ‘You can't do his-“

Honestly, this bitch - “NO I MEAN THIS AS IN THIS IS MY WEIRDNESS TOWARDS THIS SITUATION. IT’S TOO HUGE. I NEED TO WALK  AWAY.” Doyeon keeps one eyebrow raised in that perfect arch, and so Seongwoo sighs giving her the answer she’s looking for. “And yes also that thing you’re talking about is well above average – you freaking pervert.”

Doyeon immediately looks impressed as she puts her hands up. “Well, they are related.” She giggles coquettishly making Seongwoo squirm in his skin as he imagines a mishmash of Minhyun and Daniel’s body. While it’s not that bad, the idea of it marrying Doyeon does horrify him. Especially, when she holds her hands up in a small little gap. “Okay, just stop me when-“ She slowly increases the gap between her hands. “Come on,” Seongwoo rolls his eyes as she gets to an unrealistic length and gives up. “You’re such an asshole. You can’t just drop details like that and not give me more to work with.”

“YOU SHOULDN’T BE WORKING WITH ANYTHING – other than your own freaky memories of your husband-to-be weirdo.” Doyeon shrugs and holds her hands out to reach for Seongwoo’s own. He’s surprised to find his own hands are shaking when Doyeon finally caresses his palms. “Please, don’t make me do it. I don't wanna walk down the aisle with him -”

“Why not?!” Seongwoo felt his ears pop at her shriek. He’d forgotten that presently a bridezilla had also taken home in Doyeon’s body. “Do you want me to set Dongho on you instead then? CAUSE I'LL DO IT-”

“You guys need to stop threatening me with Dongho-“ It was a bit of a horrible running joke. When they’d first met – Seongwoo and Dongho had actually gotten along famously – both of them bonded over music and Seongwoo even had the chance to record in Dongho’s studio.

But now, oh now it was a completely different situation - Seongwoo could imagine it now. Dongho would have one fist tightened and punching into an open palm the moment he saw Seongwoo.

Yeah - he'd rather not. Dongho and Daniel? Those were his options? Fuck it, he'd rather fly back home. “Dear god, no.”

“Then shut up and be nice. Daniel is a good kid.” Seongwoo raised an eyebrow. They barely had an age gap if anything but she was obviously pulling the ‘aunty’ card she had on him because of Minhyun. Seongwoo was half tempted to remind her she’d just asked in no covert terms about the kid’s penis. But he refrained as she continued her lecture. “Don’t freak Daniel out because of your own issues. I’m not sure he’s even gay and Minhyun mentioned that he’d just broken up with someone recently so kid is emotionally fragile. He’s not a bitter old single man like you.” Doyeon’s lecture weakened when she saw a passing waiter with champagne flutes and expertly grabbed a pair for both him and her. "So you'll do it?"

Great, his second champagne in 10 minutes. This wedding was going swimmingly. "Yeah, fine. Whatever. I'll commit to walking down the aisle beside him. Thanks." He mumbles when Doyeon pats him on the shoulder and passes him the champagne.

“Also, I think you’re doing a shite job at being into him. Your instant reaction to seeing the guy you live beside/low key stalk is to pull me into a room and tell me about it?”

When she puts it that way. It does seem like a shit reaction. “I panicked.” He frowned as Doyeon lovingly rubbed his head.

“I know baby, I know. Now come on, you go upstairs – drink this flute of champagne and take it easy. I’ll go back in and clean up the mess you made as saying you went momentarily insane.” She pets his hair lovingly as Seongwoo sighs.

This wedding was already a mess and he'd literally landed in Hawaii two hours ago. 

 

 

 

Thankfully he doesn’t have to see Daniel until the greeting dinner later that night and even then Seongwoo wants to go hide in his room but Yoojung has pulled him out against his will.

Finally tired of his resistance, she shrieks. “What is wrong with you? Are you having traveler’s diarrhea?” Yoojung has never had a sense of propriety and this is true till today where she has literally yelled this out in the middle of their posh hotel hallway as another guest has just exited his room.

This other guest happens to be none other than Daniel who has burst out laughing almost immediately taking in the image in front of him. Seongwoo squatted uncomfortably towards the floor clutching his bum with Yoojung pulling on his arm with her absurd strength. “Ah  - hello again.” Daniel bows his head politely, trying in vain to muffle his laughter but Daniel is adorably unsuccessful.

Seongwoo would like to die in a hole. He can’t really speak so he just nods while Yoojung immediately lets go of his hand and waves brightly at Daniel walking up to him, leaving Seongwoo to fall unceremoniously on his bum.

“Hi – Daniel right? Minhyun’s nephew! Wow - you’re so tall! How old are you again?” Yoojung only rants like this when she’s interested in someone. Especially, given that she's invited herself into Daniel's personal space and started rubbing his arms. “Wow – Daniel! Your muscles are the best! You must really work out!”

Seongwoo feels his gaze grow irritated as he takes in his perverted and overly aggressive cousin. “He’s a model.” Daniel turns to smile at him, grateful for the unprompted explanation.

Seongwoo understands, it must sound arrogant to walk around saying your occupation when you literally sold your beauty to the world. He would definitely buy whatever Daniel was selling.

Yoojung rolls her eyes. “No one asked you. Sorry, that's Seongwoo - he's so rude but please take his flattery kindly, cause you are SO -”

Daniel immediately starts laughing again, shaking his hands childishly in front of Yoojung’s face. “No – I actually am a model. I know Seongwoo-ssi. We’re neighbours!”

He really can't get away from this guy. “Apparently, we're neighbours everywhere in the world.” Seongwoo mumbles under his breath as Daniel bursts out laughing again. Man, he really did laugh too easily.

"Where you go, I follow!" He jokes and Seongwoo feels his heart skip a beat when Daniel walks up to him laughing. He immediately clears his throat and stands on his feet.  “Seongwoo-ssi, I have some medicine if you need it for your stomach - sometimes I get a bit sensitive outside of Korea too.”

“That’s a great idea! Let’s go into your room together!” Yoojung has pronounced, immediately pulling on Daniel's arm and dragging him away from Seongwoo and towards his room again. Daniel passively lets her, offering the shorter girl a piece of his sunny disposition in the form of his smile.

When Daniel enters the room by himself, Seongwoo takes the opportunity to whisper to Yoojung. “I don’t need the medicine – I just didn’t want to come downstairs.” He doesn’t really want to take anti-diarrhea medicine because it could constipate his already excellent digestive system, thank you very much.

“Ong Seongwoo- I swear to god you will have the anti-diarrhea medicine to keep Daniel’s heart so Daniel and I can bond on your leaky asshole and then-“ She lowers her voice, whispering like she was selling him USA’s nuclear missile launch codes. “I can be the next bride in the family.”

This delusional statement is made worse when she starts humming the bridal march under her breath. “Choi Yoojung you are INSANE. He’s Minhyun’s nephew!”

“Are you guys coming in?” Daniel is standing by his luggage confused as to why the two cousins are still at the door bickering.

Yoojung smiles as she looks around quickly entering the room and disassociating herself with Seongwoo. “Wah, this looks exactly like mine.”

“Yeah – it’s a hotel. Hotel rooms tend to all look the same.” Seongwoo responds dryly and like clockwork Daniel starts to giggle again. Seongwoo feels himself blink multiple times as if he was trying to wash out the image so that his heart can stay safely encapsulated in his chest. 

Yoojung turns around, making sure that Daniel can’t see her face as she mouths a quick ‘I-hate-you’ to Seongwoo. Seongwoo can only smile back and a blow a kiss at her in return.

Then Yoojung gets her revenge, waving her hand around her nose as she walks around Seongwoo. “I think I’ll use the washroom for a bit -  couldn’t use it in Seongwoo’s room – you know- because-”

Seongwoo could kill her but he doesn’t – because his mother wouldn’t like that and he actually liked Yoojung’s mom quite a bit. It wasn’t her fault the genes hadn’t passed down and she’d given birth to the spawn of freaking Satan. “Don’t worry Jung-ah! No matter how long you spend in there your face is going to look the same!”

This time she doesn’t bother hiding it, Yoojung throws him the middle finger stalking away quickly towards the bathroom in her heels but definitely with an over exaggerated swing in her small hips just in case Daniel was staring at her back-side.

Seongwoo is mildly relieved that Daniel doesn’t seem to notice how insane their family is or Yoojung's backside.

After a few seconds of quiet air between them, Seongwoo feels more awkward than anything standing in Daniel’s room. “So - Seongwoo is actually Ong Seongwoo. The radio show host?" Seongwoo nods his head carefully and Daniel snickers to himself. “It’s nice to be able to- know you. In reality. Outside of the window.”

Seongwoo feels the same way to a certain degree - it feels like they're meeting for the first time - but it also feels like his heart is running away from him and that makes no sense.

Seongwoo doesn't fall in love - certainly not with strangers who were across windows or handsome men he'd walk down wedding aisles with.

So he holds his hand out politely. “Daniel is Kang Daniel. Model extraordinary. Face that can put any other man’s face to shame here.” If he jokes around and turns on his radio personality he can distance himself from this guy. He's sure of it.

“You’re exaggerating – I just lucked out. Minhyun’s always been the good looking one in our family.” Daniel snickered.

“What a nice nephew, modest too.”

“I just look good in photos – well you know Minhyun – he-“

Seongwoo immediately starts nodding because he does know how Minhyun takes photos. Like the most awkward man in the history of man kind’s existence. “He does that freaky fake smile thing? God, Doyeon is going to kill him if she doesn’t get at least one good picture with him.”

“She’s amazing by the way! I really like her.” Daniel grins brightly laying a hand on his shoulder. “Yoojung though-“

“She’s harmless.” He whispers snickering. “If you want me to let her down easy-“

“Ah I mean – it’s fine. It’s just a wedding. She's just - honest I guess?” Daniel blushes. Seongwoo tries to ignore the lick of jealousy that touches his brain as he looks at Daniel gulping back the knot in his throat. He nods along like he doesn’t mind but he does – Daniel is his. Daniel is his private secret, his little escape, his person back home – if he's going to be forced to bring Daniel into his real life he certainly didn’t want him around as Yoojung’s future husband.

Still he kept his lips sealed and shrugged. “Your choice- but you know – if she gets a little rabid-“

“Fuck off, Ong Seongwoo.” She's back out. Great. He doesn't even bother stopping himself as he rolls his eyes at her.

“You are rabid. I'm just being honest.” Daniel glances between the tense cousins who are huffing and turning away from each other.

Seongwoo glances at him out of the corner of his eye, he looks like a lost puppy doing his best to bridge two fighting parties back together. “Ah so- Yoojung who are you walking down the aisle with?” He tries in vain to diffuse the tension. A+ for the golden retriever though.

Yoojung coughs. “I think I got roped into it with Dongho – but he’s kind of-“ Daniel bursts out laughing.

“Oh – Dongho hyung is my favourite.” He grins brightly as Seongwoo feels his heart crash in his chest. Oh great, if Dongho hadn’t already bad mouthed him – “He’s always letting me use his studio for free.”

“He does?” That doesn’t sound like the Dongho Seongwoo knows. Dongho wouldn’t let anyone have anything for free. The only reason Seongwoo had been let into the studio in the past was because he was pretty sure Dongho was into him at that time.

“Well – I buy him a 24 pack of Bacardi Breezers first and then yeah, he lets me fool around with the mics and stuff.” Yoojung practically croons. Seongwoo wants to tell her to keep it in her pants but he’s already embarrassed her enough for one day.

“He doesn’t even drink that much alcohol though-“

“He doesn’t but that’s why he doesn’t like spending money on it.” Daniel supplies helpfully. “You should just get him that Yoojung-ssi – he’ll be a lot more relaxed.”

“Just Yoojung-ah, Daniel. I think - this is the start - of a great friendship.” She blinks her eyes coquettishly lacing her arm through Daniel’s. “Lets head down to the dinner banquet before Doyeon kills us, yes? And since I’m not walking down the aisle with you…"

So what? Seongwoo is just supposed to stand there third wheeling to the man that he basically spent all of his time with in Seoul while Yoojung used her feminine wiles to lure him into her web? Like hell he was going to let that happen.

He pushes his hand insistently through Daniel's other free arm and watches as the guy turns to look at him with a mischievous grin on his face. “WELL, since we are walking down the aisle together, we might as well get practice together right?"

Daniel nods along like he agrees but Yoojung quickly becoming aware that she would be the third wheel in this new arrangement has volunteered a compromise. “WE CAN SHARE SEONGWOO. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF I ASKED DONGHO TO HOLD MY HAND?!” Seongwoo could imagine it. Dongho would immediately hiss at Yoojung and bat her away like an angry kitten. Dongho was the definition of chill - Yoojung was the definition of - god save me. “Niel-ah it’s okay right?” She pleads with an affection that comes  off feeling fake to Seongwoo because they definitely aren’t close enough for that.

Daniel is a good sport despite the mess that Doyeon’s family is making of themselves and offers both hands up to the cousins.

Honestly, between the two of them? Daniel is just lucky they both haven't dislocated his arms with how roughly they're pulling him to either of their sides. 


	5. Bread Baskets Have Secrets Too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay with this T.T I've been focused on hammering out LI and The Internship from Hell T.T 
> 
> With all that inspiration from the Wanna One MV how could I not go back here and try to write more of this awesomeness :)

“God – I can't believe that they sat us next to each other.” Dongho glances at Seongwoo with a disgusted expression on his face before he shudders and pretends to look traumatized. "Ong Seongwoo, did you even shower after getting in?"

"Hey jerk face, yeah I showered." How dare he? “I didn’t ask to be seated beside the devil incarnate but Minhyun and Doyeon are persistent little assholes.”

“Uh - it's not jerk face - it's hyung to you." The day he calls Dongho hyung is the day the hell freezes over. "I'm going to go talk to them again - don’t they get the message by now? We’re never going to like each other.”

Seongwoo nods understandingly. At least, they agree on some things. “Yeah, you’re not really my type.”

“Weird - I thought your type was everything that moves with legs?" He feels his eyebrows twitch as Dongho grins at him with a saccharine sweet smile. Seongwoo's tempted to punch it off his face. "Though honestly, I’m too handsome for you. They should really look for someone in your league –“ Seongwoo gives him a look and Dongho laughs happily, like Seongwoo’s irritation is the validation that he’s been looking for all evening.

That childish behaviour is another reason Seongwoo can never get close to Kang Dongho. The man is always trying to piss him off and when he's successful, which is more often not, Dongho always ALWAYS flaunts it in his face.  “Whatever Dongho, you should get the fuck over the fact that ONE guy picked me over you. Honestly, bitter is not a good look on you -”

“First of all, we're not talking about that because that guy was obviously visually impaired." Seongwoo almost laughs, thankfully he manages to cover it up with some sort of weird sputter as he grabs his bread and butter. "And - secondly - he was apparently REALLY bad at sex? So like - thanks for taking one for the team!" Dongho pats him on the back as Seongwoo feels his spine stiffen.

That's not something he told Dongho about.

“Doyeon?” He growls out quietly between his teeth at Dongho looks even more delighted.

"Yeah - she told me all about how you couldn't walk for a week and had to go get prescription pain killers. I'd say it's because she likes me more than she likes you but we both know that's not true - she'd kill for you.” Dongho reaches over Seongwoo for the bread basket as Seongwoo huffs loudly. “WHAT? What did I do?! I didn't ask for that detail! I assure you I was just as traumatized as you to think about your sex life!”

Minki, who had been pleasantly ignoring the utterly ridiculous conversation they were having, decides to pat his best friend on the shoulder and shake his head. “I don't think Seongwoo's huffing about his bad sex life, you could just ask Seongwoo for the bread instead of practically sitting in his lap and shoving your thick ass in my face -“

“Hey - first of all - my ass is amazing - you should feel privileged." Seongwoo glances at the frown on Minki's face. Privileged is definitely not something Minki is feeling. "Also - I don’t trust Seongwoo. I feel like if I ask him for anything, he’s going to take it and put it on the other side of the table.” This is an excellent idea! Seongwoo wiggles his eyebrows at Dongho making the older man immediately moan in anguish. “Oh god, I gave Ong Seongwoo ideas- Minki, I was winning this round man! Now Seongwoo has the upper hand again -”

“What kind of ideas?” Daniel brightly chirps from across them where Yoojung has been pestering the younger boy for a solid hour and a half.

Seongwoo had been trying to not look at him all throughout dinner, if only to prove to himself that he’s not bothered by Daniel’s presence here.

To be entirely honest, this hasn't worked out very well for him. Seongwoo's been looking at him every five minutes and unluckily every time his eyes disobey him - Daniel catches his gaze, like he'd been expecting Seongwoo's eyes on his.

As freaky as it is, a tiny part of him is happy - especially since most of the time Daniel is looking at him with a smile that screams ‘ _Please save me from your horny cousin_ ’.

Seongwoo's only response to his silent plea is to smile and shrug weakly - Daniel brought this on himself. Seongwoo had offered to let Yoojung down easily - and if Daniel thought he could handle her, then lo and behold - let him try.

After all, who was Seongwoo to ruin Yoojung’s night? He should at least let her have dinner with Daniel considering she's doing a good enough job crushing her chances on her own.

Doyeon's right - he is kind of an ass to Yoojung. No wonder she hates him!

Minki thankfully comes to their rescue and lets the trio’s depressing conversation shift away from the bread basket and Dongho’s buns of steel. “We’re talking about what to do later tonight Geon-ah.”

“Ah – you’re all going out?” Daniel's chirping sounds even more excited than it had before. “Can I come?”

“Doyeon probably has something planned no?” Seongwoo looks at the maid of honour who has nodded her head weakly munching into her own multi-grain roll.

“Doyeon had the hotel team hook us up at the best lounge on the island. There’s going to be a few more guests who are coming later tonight so- PARTY PARTY GUYS! Also tomorrow some of the families are landing. The family rate only started from tomorrow so-“

“Auntie Yoo is coming right? She’s my favourite.” Seongwoo feels his heart swell at the idea of his aunt’s home-cooked meals when when Yoojung nods to confirm the entire Yoo family is in attendance. She always brought a shit tonne of food wherever she went because of Yoo Seonho's bottomless pit of a stomach.

“You know what I can’t believe?” Daniel starts as he looks pointedly at Dongho and Minki who wait for him to complete his sentence. “I can't believe Jonghyun hyung would miss something like this. I haven't seen him in so long! It would be so nice if all four of you were together again. I'm sure Minhyun hyung would want him to be here too!”

The moment these words leave Daniel’s mouth both Minki and Dongho have turned to look at each other, gulping back spillable word vomit with identical expressions of distress on their faces.  

Whoa - who the hell is Jonghyun?

“Niel-ah, I know how you feel but don’t say that to Minhyun, okay?” Dongho explains quickly glancing around the table as if to make sure that neither Seongwoo or Yoojung are paying attention to them. He’s bewildered by Dongho’s reaction but makes sure to turn his face expressionless.

He knows better than to pry or react right now. If he asks for answers, all he'll get is more questions.

Daniel turns back to his food, trying to reach for his fork, but alas during his distraction Yoojung had captured it hostage. “Niel-ah, let me feed you.”

“Ah – no that’s really okay – you don’t have to do that –“

Yoojung has already peeled pieces of chicken breast from the bone for him and placed it on the fork in a manner that is both disgusting and incredibly sweet. 

Out of sheer consideration for the embarassing situation Daniel has found himself in, Seongwoo covers his laughing mouth with his hands. There's no way out of this one. “Say Ah!” Yoojung waves the fork around like it’s a plane and Daniel awkwardly glances around the table before he opens his mouth, the fork landing with a loud clang against his teeth.

When Daniel starts groaning in pain, Seongwoo stops laughing - Dongho and Minki don't. “Yoojung-ah, our Euigeonnie is not five years old. Are you trying to be his nanny?”  Minki only very narrowly avoids the fork coming straight at his head.

Despite the lightened mood – Seongwoo can tell something has changed at the table. Daniel keeps glancing back at Dongho and Minki who are avoiding his gaze.

He can only tie it back to one thing.

Jonghyun.

Whoever that is.

Daniel had said something about the four of them - but for as long as Seongwoo had known Minhyun, the guy had only had two ride or die best friends. One was the effervescently beautiful Choi Minki and the other manly-yogurt-obsessed-crazy Kang Dongho.

Well – whoever Jonghyun is to this weird group of friends, it's not like he's going to be finding out tonight anyways. He may as well do his best to change the topic of conversation. “Minki – who are you walking down the aisle with again?”

“Chungha.” Minki supplies helpfully. “I’ve met her a few times. Seemed cool.”

“Of course she seemed cool – she is cool.” Seongwoo lets out a wistful sigh. “From our side of the family - she’s pretty much the golden child. Oldest child, has her life together, the largest collection of designer shoes, makes the most money - lives in downtown Gangnam in a flat she actually owns not rents-“

Minki snickers, his eyes lighting up mischeviously. “So basically – one of us should marry her because she’s the future Minhyun? Dongho - interested in another of Doyeon's cousins?" If looks could kill, Dongho's would have murdered his best friend brutally on the spot.

For Dongho's sake, he'll pretend Minki didn't say that. “Pretty much. You could coast happily for the rest of your life – but she’s a workaholic so she’s not coming until like the night before the wedding. Also I think she has a boyfriend – maybe – Chungha never tells us anything. So no Gangnam style for any of you-”

Before Seongwoo can continue elaborating on the many charms of Chungha, he’s interrupted.

“I like where we live.”

Seongwoo turns to look at Daniel who is grinning up at him, a new fork safely nestled in his own hands now as he delightfully tears into his chicken himself.

Both Dongho and Minki have turned to look at each other confused as they start in unison - “Daniel  you don’t live with anyone at this table –“

“Actually you’re wrong. Daniel lives with Seongwoo.” Yoojung snickers as she gulps down her wine and leans her head on Daniel’s shoulders. “Ahhh I know something about Daniel that you two don’t – guess you’re not that close to him after all –“ Her every coquettish giggle grates Seongwoo’s ears, and he’s become vaguely aware of the fact that both Choi Minki and Kang Dongho are looking at him like he’s done something horrible by living with Daniel.

Great, just, great.

Dongho is the first to speak, with a tense curtness in his voice as he looks between the two of them. “Can someone please explain why this pervert is living with my innocent Niel?” Seongwoo opens his mouth to debate this claim but Dongho literally places a finger on his mouth and shakes his head. “You really want to contest that?”

Seongwoo growls and pulls Dongho's fingers off his mouth, glaring at him. Dongho only looks pointedly at him. Seongwoo feels his cheeks betray him as he colours red and looks away.

Honestly, what the hell was last year's Seongwoo thinking? 

“That would explain a lot too.” Daniel’s words slip through his silent conversation with Dongho like he’s trying to interrupt them and that’s it.

Seongwoo sees Dongho’s eyes literally colour red as he looks between Daniel and Seongwoo. Seongwoo can’t even hold himself back from groaning as he pushes his head into his hands. At least this way, the rest of the table cannot see how red he really is. It would just be so much easier to bang his head into the table multiple times, actually start bleeding and force this situation to come to an end- “It’s nothing – really Dongho-“

His attempts to explain the situation are thwarted when Daniel giggles. Seongwoo looks at him with a desperate gaze in his eyes. He’d like to not die today at the hands of a crazy man but Daniel, it appears, has other ideas. “I mean – I was almost naked when we first met - I guess it's nothing if you’re talking about what I was wearing-”

Dongho looks like he’s going to pull Seongwoo into a fight outside of the hall. Minki looks like he’s going to pull out all of Seongwoo’s hairs one by one with a pair of blunt tweezers for extra pain.

For fear of his own life, Seongwoo tries to elaborate as best he can, which is not very good at all. “That was by chance – I just got home – and you were you know- naked – like sometimes people are – in their homes – in my defense you get naked way too often man – “

Daniel leans forward laughing as he rests his head on his palm and quirks one eyebrow up, deepening his voice just the slightest. “You’ve never complained before-“

Seongwoo feels his eyebrows rush up into his hairline as he makes a choked sound.

Before? Complained?

Oh shit.

Oh shit.

Oh FUCKING shit.

There it is.

The answer to the fucking question he’d kind of always known but had always been too scared to ask and confirm.

Daniel knows. Daniel had always known. Daniel had known long before Seongwoo opened his big fat trap to say,  _'Hello, you're hot please wear the red'_.

Oh shit fuck, shit fuck, shit fuck-  “One of you, please explain in better detail before we decide whether or not we’re going to kill Seongwoo for harming a hair on your angelic little head Geon-ah.” Minki rests his hands on Daniel’s broad shoulders as the younger man laughs innocently.

“Ah hyung - one day, I was deciding what to wear and my neighbour spoke up from the window. When I turned around, I saw Seongwoo staring at me and that was it. He just offered help – nothing crazy.” Was that a wink Daniel threw his way?

Oh god, he just did it again.

What the fuck was Kang Daniel up to?

Thankfully, Minki looks appeased with Daniel’s lacklustre expression of what happened the night they met - which calms Seongwoo's own rapidly beating heart. At least, until Yoojung snickers evilly looking at Seongwoo. “So uh – this naked part-?”

“It’s nothing okay! Guy was obviously picking out clothes, so what do you expect him to pick out clothes in? He was obviously not already wearing clothes- GOD YOOJUNG.”

Okay, maybe that was a little defensive. Now everyone’s looking at him, Daniel included, like he’s gone crazy. He can’t even really blame them. He feels a little crazy right now –

Kang Daniel knew the whole damned time, didn’t he?

Of course he did – it isn’t like their windows are that far apart.

Somehow, Seongwoo feels like he's been cheated. He feels like he was the one being watched and a part of him wants to pull the guy aside and ask what the hell he’s trying to pull. Then, another part of him that's more logical reminds him that Daniel hasn’t actually acknowledged it entirely and there is a slim possibility he's over thinking the situation as usual.

Sensing the tense atmosphere around the table, his cousin, for once, comes to his rescue. “Ha - Ong Seongwoo- there’s no need to have a mental breakdown because everyone knows you’re a pervert.” Yoojung frowns innocently as she looks at Daniel for comfort. “Niel-ah! Seongwoo yelled at me!” Daniel awkwardly pats her shoulders which, for Choi Yoojung, is sufficient physical contact to pipe down.

“Yeah Seongwoo, chill man, I already knew you were a pervert. It's actually your best quality, considering your personality is absolute shit of course.” Dongho claps a hand on Seongwoo’s back rather kindly. Seongwoo's not sure whether he wants to scream or whether he wants to SCREAM. “It’s okay friend – we know Daniel’s really good looking. Can’t be denied any way you look at it but hands off! I’m sure you didn’t know but - he’s straight.”

Seongwoo hadn’t known it was possible to be more mortified than he already was but apparently Dongho telling him Daniel is straight is one way to get there.

Thankfully, it’s Daniel who decides to kindly step in and clarify the situation. “It really wasn’t like that Dongho hyung – I just spoke too quickly -”

“See if Niel says everything’s okay – then everything’s okay. Just don’t do anything creepy or you’ll have to look for a new house because I may or may not have burned it down?” Minki leans over to pat Seongwoo’s depressed head.

Daniel tries to catch his eyes again – but Seongwoo ignores him for the rest of dinner. How the hell can Seongwoo look at him?

Kang Daniel – knew. He always knew. He knew this whole fucking time that Seongwoo had been looking at him through the window long before they’d actually spoken to each other.

All he wants to do is drown his head in his bowl of soup but he has a feeling if he does that people are really going to ship him off to the loony bin and he’s had more than enough meltdowns today.

If he got a flight back to Seoul today – would Doyeon still pay for it?

Somehow he's pretty sure the answer to that question will be no. 

 

 

 

“So I was walking down the street and I swear to god – I got a model casting offer-“

Kim Jaehwan is a good distraction. He’s also a natural crowd pleaser and if he wasn’t one of Minhyun’s rich little cousins – he’d have been a great radio host at 101.1.

In fact, he’s almost as entertaining as Seongwoo himself. This is really great because today Seongwoo is NOT interested in being the butt of everyone’s jokes.

No, today, Ong Seongwoo is just happy to sip on his perfectly made Old Fashioned and lie lazily on the emerald green couches of ‘ _ **Bisha**_ ’.

Honestly what the hell does ' _ **Bisha**_ ' mean anyways?

Why did all clubs and lounges have such non-descript names that, at the end of the day, they ended up meaning nothing at all?

“You piece of shit liar –“ Daniel leans forward to punch his barely an uncle's arm. “No fucking way YOU were street casted –“

Jaehwan looks positively offended that Daniel has doubted the power of his good looks. He jokingly tucks a lock of imaginary hair behind his ears as he places his hands on his face and winks at him. “Daniel – literally do you know how many times a day I’m stopped by people saying I look like you? ”

This claim is so ludicrous, Dongho cackles and shakes his head apologetically when Jaehwan’s unimpressed expression turns towards him. “Dude, sorry but like anyone can tell that you barely have any Hwang genes in you. You're all Kim. Plus, you live in Paris – I doubt that people are stopping you on the streets in PARIS to tell you that you look like Daniel.“

“Well, the best looking ones in the family are Jinyoung and Suzy, right?” Daniel looks around the room for consensus. 

“Okay, agreed on Jinyoung but like – Suzy’s wedding bro – like I wasn’t even fucking invited-“ Jaehwan complains bitterly.

Seongwoo hadn’t spent too much time with Suzy but -  he had baby sat Jinyoung one weekend eons ago. “I’m pretty sure Minhyun’s actually the best looking one out of all you fools and Jinyoung looks the most like him so if anyone’s going to be stopped in the street – it’s the two of them.” His words come out a little more slurred than he’d intended and he sees Daniel turn to look at him, the smile on his face softening from an obscenely large grin to a softer, pity brimmed smile.

What a jack-ass, how dare he pity him - what the hell was he pitying him for?

Minki nods. “It's true - every time I see Jinyoung, he reminds me so much of what Minhyun used to look like– except you know – Jinyoung’s prettier.”

“Are they here yet?” Yoojung sounds too excited at this statement.

Seongwoo groans, shoving his head into his hands. “Yoojung-ah, Jinyoung is not of age –“

Daniel snickers softly behind his hands at Seongwoo’s unsaid words. Well, at least someone got the joke. “You’ve met Jinyoung, Seongwoo?”

“Yeah – I babysat him once. Apparently, last time he'd been left alone he had a houseparty and trashed his place? So Doyeon black-mailed me into watching him for a whole weekend when I was in-between jobs. It was kinda nice. Kid left me alone and I got to live the Hwang highlife.”

“OH YEAH – not to brag or anything but like I was chaperone at that party since Suzy was away on vacation with her chaebol boyfriend.” Jaehwan snickers to himself. “Good times. I even got Jinyoung and his little friends mickeys!”

As he comes over from another table, Minhyun catches the tail end of the conversation and Seongwoo sees his face scrunch up in distaste as he looks at his cousin. “Jaehwan-ah, I think this is probably why uncle Taek didn’t invite you to Suzy’s wedding last year. You were encouraging under-age drinking."

"They were mickeys!" Jaehwan's explanation falls flat on the group as they all turn to judge him. "GUYS! You know how Jinyoung is - he pulls the sad face card on you until you give him what you want - or gives you the silent treatment -"

As Jaehwan does his best to defend his declining character perception, Minhyun rolls his eyes, seating himself beside Minki in the last free seat in their couch circle. “Doyeon - there’s no more seats.”

“There isn’t?” Doyeon kicked her hips to side a smile on her face. “Oh well – guess we’ll just have to scandalize your family before marriage - ”

Minhyun snickers, patting his lap in a way that makes Seongwoo want to turn his eyes away. Minhyun has obviously been drinking, a rare occurence in itself but considering it is his wedding - understandable. “There’s no other option really.”  Doyeon, bless her slutty soul, needs no further invite as she lands herself in her fiance's lap and nuzzles her nose into his cheeks. Minhyun’s left blushing like the love-sick fool he is.

Beside him, Minki coos and then pretends to throw up on the other side of their shared loveseat. “Dongho-yah, can I come sit in your lap?”

“Stop being so dramatic –“ Doyeon hits Minki jokingly as the three of them collectively break into laughs and Doyeon settles into a more appropriate pose on Minhyun’s lap before looking around the entire group. “Are you guys having fun yet?”

“Well – Jaehwan’s finished half a bottle of Jager by himself.” Minki voices with no care to hide the judgement in his voice.

Minhyun pauses as he ponders this with one finger on his chin. “Kim Jaehwan has predictable bad taste, as always.”

“HOW RUDE –“ Jaehwan looks like he wants to beat Minhyun up. He ends up jumping on top of both the bride and the groom, enveloping both figures in a group hug that ends up looking vaguely scandalous. “Minhyun-ah – I missed you so much – like my ego has gotten so large without you around- did I tell you someone tried to cast me as a model-“

Honestly, he wasn't going to relive the whole conversation again was he? “This shit again?”

Dongho, who is sitting beside him again, catches the sound of his words and snickers as he leans over to whisper in his ears. “Jaehwan has a bad a habit of repeating himself constantly when he’s drunk-“

“There are worse things to have a habit of I guess –“ He smiles back at him tilting his old fashioned as Dongho snickers and tilts his beer back.

When Seongwoo looks back to the group at large, he sees Daniel’s eyes are fixed on them. They aren’t necessarily expressive – but they are making him feel uncomfortable.

He shifts in his seat, turning to look at the bride, the groom and the groom’s pathological liar of a cousin. Immediately, Seongwoo bursts out laughing.

Jaehwan's replaced Doyeon, taking over the spot she'd previously occupied on Minhyun's lap. “Jaehwan-ah, it’s good to see you – it’s been too long since you moved to Paris.”

“Go back to Paris –“ Doyeon scowls to the side as Jaehwan giggles coquettishly waving his hands at her. “Kim Jaehwan - I’m not joking - get up!” Amused by his bride's posessive reaction, somehow Minhyun manages to make the two of them sit on his lap.

“I know – can you please tell your dad that you need me back here already? I’m almost done saving our real estate business there anyways – I want to work in the export side next –“

“You want to work for the export side because you know the head office is in Seoul- Hwang boss is going to see right through you." Daniel claps a hand on Jaehwan’s back.

Now that Jaehwan's happily seated on his cousin's lap, Seongwoo realizes that Daniel and Yoojung are all alone on the large three seater across from him. Seongwoo sees Yoojung glance up at Daniel with a happiness touching her eyes when she realizes that Daniel hasn’t really shifted away from her despite the fact there’s more room around them.

Seongwoo can’t help but laugh, vaguely aware of a few eyes on him. Dongho’s because the guy’s been pretty much monitoring him all night - probably to make sure he didn’t do or say something stupid. Doyeon’s looking at him too to make sure he’s doing okay and Yoojung’s checking up on him mostly because she’s confused because there’s nothing funny about the Hwang export business or Minhyun's dad.

Seongwoo can't stop laughing though. It's like there's a tap on and no matter how hard he tries, he just can't turn it off. 

Daniel’s eyes are on him too – but Seongwoo doesn’t care enough to try to decipher what it is that Daniel’s thinking.

He’d probably get it wrong anyways.

“All good?” Dongho’s whispering in his ears again. Seongwoo feels a knot tie itself in his stomach as he takes in the sound of concern in the older man’s voice. He's almost touched given that usually Dongho doesn’t give a shit about anything.

Seongwoo nods weakly. Another swig of his drink will probably do the trick –

He glances up accusatorily at Daniel who is laughing at something Yoojung is telling him.

Honestly - why the hell does Daniel live beside him in the first place? What right does he have to struggle in Seongwoo’s world when he’s literally born with a golden spoon up his ass? 

Somewhere between staring at Daniel and his own thoughts, he’s finished his drink. “I’m going to the bar to get another drink-“ He voices just so he doesn’t look entirely rude.

“Ah – they come get our orders Seongwoo-” Doyeon thankfully stops herself from saying more when she sees what Seongwoo’s gaze is fixed on. It isn’t necessarily just a drink that Seongwoo’s after.

He needs air. He needs space. Selfishly, he’d also like if said space happened to manifest itself between Daniel and Yoojung.  

Kang Daniel has found his way out of the window and Seongwoo hates it.

“I’ll come too, sitting beside the happy couple is making my single ass feel depressed.” Minki haphazardly throws his iPhone into Minhyun’s hands. “Minhyun, I’m expecting a call about the catering for the bachelor party so can you please pick it up when it comes? It's some guy named Aron - not Aaron - Aron - he hates it when he's called Aaron, got all pissy on me last time - “

Minhyun looks at the phone, then back at Minki, then back at the phone. “You’re going to make the groom – take care of the bachelor party details-“

"It’s just the catering guy and if I give it to Dongho - he'll try to bargain with him again-“

From beside him, Dongho takes this as his opening to start launching his case. “I still think that guy is ripping us off –“ Seongwoo feels himself roll his eyes. For a relatively rich man, Dongho really is way too cheap.

Sure, Dongho came from money, all of Minhyun’s family and friends did – but Seongwoo has never seen Dongho flaunt his money or use it as a way to appear superior to others who don't necessarily have that same luxury. 

In some ways, that’s admirable. In other ways, it still makes him a cheap little fucker. “Correction Dongho-ssi, Aron’s ripping Hwang Boss's Wallet off – what the hell is an extra few thousand in that bottomless pool of money-“

“It’s not bottomless.” Minhyun flushes quietly as everyone pretty much ignores their crown prince. Doyeon affectionately presses a kiss to his forehead as he smiles back up at her. Seongwoo feels his heart squeeze, though whether it’s because he’s honestly touched at the show of affection or honestly envious of it – even he can’t tell.

"You shouldn’t be this free with money, Minki-ah.”

“Of course I should Dongho – I RARELY have this much money to play with since I got disowned by my parents –”

Tired of hearing his friends arguing, Minhyun pushes Minki towards where Seongwoo is waiting for him. “Got it, got it – when the call comes I’ll pick it up and talk to Aron. Do you two ever agree on anything?”

“No.” Minki and Dongho answer in unison as the table collectively laughs.

Evidently, they do agree on some things.

“Come on Seongwoo, my throat is dry, Minhyun’s wallet is full and I need a drinking buddy.” Minki easily throws his hands over his shoulders and drags him towards the bar. “I’m going to have another Martini – Seongwoo, what are you drinking?”

“Old Fashioned, please.” He answers. What number was this one – number 3?

“Classy.” Minki looks at Seongwoo with remarkably kind eyes. Seongwoo lets out a shaky laugh as he nods wordlessly, watching the bartender swing into motion.

“I think I’ve been watching too much Mad Men.” Compared to Dongho, Seongwoo actually likes Minki a lot - he's the type of person who you can't help but admire. Minki's given up his inheritance to be unapologetically himself – which thankfully is a great person. He’s a primary school teacher and a huge advocate for the LGBTQ community in Seoul. He's one of the reasons Seongwoo can step out of the doors and feel safe being himself.

Perhaps, most importantly, he deals with the annoying piece of shit that is Kang Dongho on a close to daily basis.

So yeah, Choi Minki is most probably a saint.

Minki also happens to be remarkably perceptive. Almost irritatingly so. “So what’s up? I hear you’re basically a pop star now?” He forgets sometimes that people still remember that at one point in his life, he used to be an idol trainee.

“Better late than never.” Seongwoo grins as he places the glass to his lips, happy to feel the burn has already been numbed in his throat. Three’s okay. He still has two more drinks in him at least. “But yeah – did you hear about that?”

“Hear about it? You’re starting to replace me as #1 for kid’s locker photos. I had to confiscate the phone of a little one who was listening to you when I was teaching!” Minki’s eyes soften as he looks at him. “Look happy Seongwoo – I know how worried Minhyun and Doyeon were when your term with your last agency ended. You may not have made it the way you thought you would, but what you’ve accomplished as a radio host is certainly something to be proud of.”

What Seongwoo should do is bow his head and say his thanks. However, he’s also always struggled with genuinely delivered praise so he ends up being rudely suspicious. “Man, you’re being incredibly nice today- what did I do to deserve this version of Choi Minki?”

“Nothing, really.” Minki sips on his martini, all grace and perfectly formed limbs. “Figured I'd do what I could to get your spirits up - you looked pretty beat up back there and when someone as pretty as you looks so sad - it just feels sadder?”

Seongwoo’s face pinks, he can try to blame the drink or the praise – but it’s Minki’s damn perceptiveness again.

He doesn’t get a chance to explain himself or provide excuses for his sullen behaviour - Minhyun has stormed upon them with Dongho and Daniel closely in tow.  “Minki- can we talk for a bit?” Minhyun’s voice is incredibly low, fearful, and he looks like he’s seen a ghost.

What on earth is Minki planning to feed them at the bachelor party? Surely, it couldn’t be that scary. “Sure – I mean-“ Minki looks at Dongho - his eyebrows furrowed but the other man shrugs weakly like he’s not sure what this is about either. “Sure –“

In seconds, they disappear as Minhyun drags them all out with a ferocity Seongwoo has never seen in the other guy.

Seongwoo waits for Daniel to follow them but he doesn’t budge from his spot on the bar. Daniel chooses to melt into the marble counter-top of the bar, using his elbows as levers - posed from head to toe.“You’re not going with them?”

“No – I just wanted to join you. They were stealing Minki hyung away and Yoojung said you might need a wingman.” Seongwoo burst out laughing. The idea that Yoojung’s looking out for him by loaning Daniel to him as a wingman makes this entire situation even more ridiculous than it already feels. “What’s so funny?”

“I’m not necessarily in need of a wingman.” He looks down at the glass in his hand – well how often is he going to get this opportunity? He can be his own wingman. He quickly tosses back the remainder of the Old Fashioned and moves the glass towards Daniel pointedly. “I do need another drink though?” 

“Let me buy you one then.” His words are followed with an entirely too cheeky push to Seongwoo’s side that leaves Seongwoo coughing despite the fact there’s nothing actually in his throat except for his very confusing feelings.

“We’re on Minhyun’s tab. Minhyun's buying me the drink.” Despite the discouragement, Daniel hails the bartender down again and Seongwoo watches enraptured by how the adorable man he’s used to seeing at home has changed here. He looks in command, charismatic – and something about him distinctly reminds Seongwoo of the way Minhyun operates.

Daniel is almost painfully robotic, careful, calculated. He only manages to catch the tail end of his conversation with the bartender. “-and he’ll have an Old Fashioned.”

Seongwoo feels the knot in his throat swell the slightest bit. How had Daniel known what he was drinking? The bartender set off to another group at the bar and he turns to look at Daniel with the question in his eyes. “Huh?” The later it gets the harder it gets for Seongwoo to form coherent sentences.

“Oh sorry – did you want something else? You were drinking that earlier right?”

“I was.” It’s really not that big a deal – loads of strangers remembered other people’s drink orders for no real reason - except, not really. “You’re just creepy.”

“Creepy?” Daniel looks like a cross between hurt and embarrassed as he reaches for his own Gin and Tonic and passes Seongwoo the Old Fashioned. “I’m offended – after I went through the trouble of having a rich cousin who could buy you drinks-”

It’s too easy to lean forward and push his body just the slightest bit closer to Daniel’s just taller frame. Daniel doesn’t even back away as Seongwoo drops his voice and pokes his shoulders. “Dude - we weren’t even sitting beside each other.” Seongwoo explains as Daniel rubs the back of his head bashfully. “That’s not creepy? I think you’re creepy.”

Daniel smirks, shrugging. He takes an extra long swig of his drink, eyes never leaving Seongwoo’s. He’s been drinking for so long it’s making Seongwoo feel uncomfortable again, so he averts his eyes. 

After what feels like ages but must have really been seconds, he hears Daniel let out a satisfied sigh. “Hey - do you want to get out of here?”

Whatever he’d been expecting Daniel to say – it hadn’t been that. 

Usually Seongwoo's answer to this question involves a fair amount of sloppy kissing and stumbled trips into someone's bedroom.

The idea of following through with standard procedure with Daniel sounds great in his mind, but even  _4-Drinks-In_  Seongwoo knows better than that.

No matter how confused he is – Seongwoo has rules. He doesn’t bring straight boys or closet cases home to his bedroom. 

It doesn’t really help that less than five feet away from them is a group of people who represent the unspoken rules governing their interactions here at Doyeon's wedding.

Plus, he has a feeling that’s not the type of place Daniel’s asking to go to. "Where?"

Luckily, Daniel is not the over-thinker that Ong Seongwoo is. “Anywhere but here?”

Ever the gentleman, and obviously drunk, Seongwoo offers his elbow up to Minhyun’s nephew. Daniel looks at it for all of a second before he bursts out laughing and waves it away from him.

“I think- I may know just the place.” It’s easy to laugh with Daniel, easy to joke with him, easy to forget that he wants to do more with the guy than just laugh.

With every second look at Daniel, Seongwoo feels his heart stutter. Daniel really is a strange kind of beautiful - and it's something to admire someone from afar but up-close it feels invasive, wrong and aggravating because everytime he gets to step a little closer to Daniel, he feels even more lost.

He’s no closer to figuring the guy out and if he's not careful - 

This guy he's walking down the aisle with may just drive him crazy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed the update :D we got to meet Dongho + Minki + Jaehwan (yey!)


	6. Don't Trust Every Smile You Meet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys - Mess Pt II IS HERE! (it took so long to write and make good T.T)

“It pays to dress fancy.” Seongwoo mumbles between bites of saucy tomato pasta. “Plus, I was getting hungry – drinking always makes me hungry.”

“So it appears.” Daniel laughs, his whole body shaking with the motion. Seongwoo’s eyes  glue onto the way Daniel’s broad shoulders shake gently. Here, on this makeshift table in the depths of the hotel kitchen, Seongwoo feels like he’s brought them back to their comfort zone. “Pizza, pasta – what should we share next?”

“I feel like we have an Italian theme going – but I also don’t want this to get boring.” Daniel nods along energetically trying to spoon more pasta onto his fork.

Seongwoo raises an eyebrow at the childish frustration touching Daniel’s eyes. “Here, let me.” He grabs the fork from Daniel’s hands quickly swirling just the right amount onto the fork before he releases it back into Daniel’s hands. When he’s back to slurping his own pasta into his mouth he’s aware of Daniel’s wide eyed gaze on his. “Yes?”

“Nothing, nothing. You reminded me of Yoojung right now. You guys are more alike than you know.”  With the pasta safely tucked into Daniel’s left cheek, Seongwoo becomes aware of the fact that both of them are examining each other but to what purpose Daniel’s examining him – Seongwoo couldn’t say. “I have a few ideas for dessert -“  

Seongwoo feels his blood run cold. Daniel's voice is teasing, lilted with innuendo and the way he’s looking at him makes Seongwoo feel like he's what Daniel's ordered for dessert.

The sheer imagery of what that means is enough to have Seongwoo cough himself into an early grave. 

So he gulps down the large glass of water on his side of the table, forcing himself to cool off as he bangs it back down with a little too much force making giggly monster in front of him laugh. “Hey – uh I have an idea. Instead of sharing dessert, want to share why you’re avoiding telling me about your very creepy behaviour tonight? Since the bar?”

The genuine smile on Daniel’s face drops to be replaced by a copy paste version that’s supposed to look identical. Finally, for once Seongwoo doesn’t feel like he’s completely at a disadvantage. “You’re impressive, Ong Seongwoo.” Daniel laughs again but this laugh sounds more like a bitter observation.

“Thanks for the compliment.” Seongwoo bows his head gratefully, leaning forward with his head in his hands so that he’s right up against Daniel’s face. “You’re still avoiding answering the question though.”

Daniel drops his cutlery.

Just as well. Daniel can talk shit but Seongwoo - he'll act on it if Daniel's not careful.

When Daniel looks up at him, Seongwoo is fully prepared for some sort of irritated expression. Instead, Daniel looks relieved. “Any other requests that aren’t related to assassinating my character?”

He leans closer to Daniel’s face watching as the other man’s eyes remain impassive, unbothered by this lack of friendly distance. The fake smile stays on of course, as it always does like Daniel's protective shield. Seongwoo wants to barge in with a sword, break through and push Daniel to the edge so he'll finally know what it takes to actually bother the guy.  

It's unfair, really. Seongwoo's sure with the way he's looking at Daniel right now there's no way Daniel doesn't know what's going through his head.

Yet the look Seongwoo sees in Daniel's eyes? It's locked, loaded and barreled hiding whatever it is that he's actually feeling. "Is your mom accepting adoption applications? I want in to the Hwang empire but from what I’ve heard Minhyun’s family is bitchy as fuckkk so I'm scoping out the other relatives. So far - I'm not really feeling traumatized Baes or mildly insane Kims.”

Thankfully, this time when Daniel laughs – his real smile comes back on his face and Seongwoo staggers back until he’s safely distanced again from the slice of sunshine. 

Kang Daniel has the type of face that you look at once and shrug – he’s not that classically beautiful.

Then you look back again. There’s something innately magnetic about the way his smile reaches his eyes.

And then suddenly, before you know what’s happened, you can’t look away even if you want to.

Daniel’s voice shakes as he continues to laugh almost purposefully oblivious to the fact Seongwoo is stuck staring at him like a complete idiot. “I don’t think you’re her type-“

“On the contrary – I’m everyone’s type. Just ask Dongho.” Seongwoo threatens Daniel jokingly with the fork in his hand.

Daniel quickly brings his hands to his face defensively. “Hey – I never said you weren’t my type.”  Seongwoo shakes his head, rolling more pasta into his mouth. It's best he doesn't say anything to that. “You’re just not her type because my mom – uh she’s a bit – weird? About – you know. Doyeon mentioned something once – about you. I mean.”

Seongwoo feels his spine stiffen as he looks down at his pasta.

“Huh.” Now he has to sit here eating pasta with a possibly homophobic straight guy who’s into him?

His night just keeps getting better and better.

A quiet chill settles on their conversation until Daniel clears his throat. “You know that I’m not like that though, right?”

“You’re not?” Seongwoo doesn’t necessarily believe him. It’s not like it matters what Daniel’s beliefs are. The two of them are nothing more than unhealthily close acquaintances anyways.

Friendship?

Hah. What an unrealistic goal.

Their backgrounds, careers, hell even their hair colour –

Nothing about Kang Daniel and Ong Seongwoo made sense together.

His attempt to rationalize their co-existence here in this kitchen is left useless when he hears Daniel's next words.“There’s a reason I asked you to leave the bar with me.” This time, Daniel’s voice isn’t necessarily alluring. He's leaving no room for interpretation of his words. There’s seven colours in a rainbow and his words are something Seongwoo should  trust because it’s simply the way things are.

Seongwoo’s faltering again.

He can talk a lot of shit in his head but it’s another thing to actually feel the way he does when he looks at Daniel – and he’s finding that a lot harder to control.

What is Daniel?

Why has he decided to make Seongwoo the target of his own mess?

Why is he making him feel this way? “There's a reason? I wasn’t aware. I thought you were just bored.”

Seongwoo keeps his eyes pressed on Daniel’s but the man’s dropped his gaze to his plate. “Just – I’m not the way she is. I swear.”

That's not a real answer - not really. Daniel can't say that there's a reason and then not follow-up. It's this type of conversation that leaves room for interpretation and Seongwoo's never been a fan of reading between the lines. “Okay- it’s not like I care. I mean – I do – but I’m not Minki. I can't make my life about changing what people think. People can do whatever they want and I’ll do whatever I want – that’s all that matters at the end of the day. If no one stops me from doing what I want to do – then we don’t have any problems.” Seongwoo clears his throat uncomfortably. This is not the type of conversation he wants to have with Kang Daniel. They talk about fluff - T.V., how amazing Donna from the 70s Show is -

Daniel grins brightly at him. “And what is it that you want to do?” The question comes off teasing and Seongwoo coughs into his hands. “What’s your story Ong?”

In the span of five minutes, Daniel has told him his mother is homophobic and tried to flirt with him for the umpteenth time. Couldn't this guy stick to one tone of conversation? His head's starting to spin. “Well, what kind of story are you interested in? I can whip up a solid mystery, sometimes I’m decent at romance – and I’m great at slice of life!” Daniel rolls his eyes. “I’m just kidding – I’m a painfully normal guy.”

“You’re more than a normal guy according to some –“ Seongwoo groans as he turns to look at Daniel’s teasing expression. “What?! I mean you’re kind of famous now because of that guy right? The one on the recording-“

“YES – Don’t remind me.” Seongwoo feels himself grumbling into his pasta, chewing with as much ferocity as he could muster. “I mean – who is crazy enough to go do something like that on air? People today really don’t think before they inconvenience people.” He stabs a piece of Sicilian sausage. “What a mess that has been, man.”

“Wow.”

Seongwoo frowns as he stares at Daniel’s stupefied expression. “What?”

“You’re basically complimenting yourself that’s all.” Seongwoo raises an eyebrow. How did Daniel get to that conclusion? He's way way off. “Well, like you’re essentially saying you’re so good looking that some guy went crazy and called you-“

“YAH – YAH YAH-“ He cuts him off before he has the chance to say something else ridiculous. “That is so not what I was saying. I was saying I was groped on the subway-“

Daniel laughs louder now. “Dude - you did not talk about the subway at all –“

“Well I was groped – on the subway. Thanks to this STUPID guy on the phone.” Seongwoo grumbles as he shudders and rolls his eyes. "Happened the same damn day I spoke up and met you.”

“Pity.” Daniel leans forward, invading his personal space this time as he giggles into his fists. Seongwoo feels himself freeze as he glances up at him behind his eyelashes. “Don’t worry – at least at home you have me. I’ll protect you – so enjoy it.”

“Enjoy it -?” He’s confused.

“The attention.” Daniel’s closer to his face now, insistent and far closer than even Seongwoo had managed. One tiny push and Seongwoo’s heart will get what it wants. “You should enjoy the attention. The popularity.”

Seongwoo gulps as he feels his eyes drop to Daniel’s pink tinted lips. Up close he can  make out the perfect shape of the Cupid's bow on Daniel's upper lip and reflexively Seongwoo feels himself licking his mouth, moistening his lips for a kiss that's guaranteed not to happen. “I’m really bad at being the center of attention-“

“And you work on the radio –“

He has to ruin this moment. If he doesn’t. If he lets Daniel keep manhandling into feeling like this – he’ll fuck up. He’ll fuck this whole wedding up for Doyeon and that’s something he can’t do. Overshare and back away Seongwoo! “Precisely why I failed. I wanted to be an idol – it was the only way I knew how to be a dancer for the rest of my life and make more money than I was with the under-ground troupes – “

“You’re a dancer?” Daniel blinks dumbly staring at him. Seongwoo drops his gaze to the pasta again suddenly bashful. “Wait no – are you serious? You’re seriously a dancer?”

Seongwoo laughs nervously. “Well, recently I’m a bit of a lazy ass who makes snarky remarks on an increasingly unpopular media form but yes I also dance – hopefully still well.” Daniel is smiling so widely it’s freaking him out. “What’s the big deal?”

“I am – too. I mean – I didn’t learn officially like you – but through YouTube.”

“Style?”

“B-boy! You?”

“Popping to be honest is my favourite – but I can do it all.”

“I was able to try a bit of modern dance in school too –“ Daniel’s voice spikes up and down with excitement. “This is too perfect – I can’t believe you’re a dancer!”

Seongwoo laughs nervously. He hasn’t danced in ages. “Hey man – I’m not that good a dancer –“

“Can we dance together? Like a performance?” If he’d been drinking something, right now it would have been on Kang Daniel’s face. “Think you can manage something for like – 45 seconds?”

Seongwoo grimaces. “Uh – I don’t know – we’re technically on opposing sides of the wedding-“

“We’re also two steps away from each other – and you’re perfect since you ACTUALLY know how to move. Dongho hyung is a shit dancer and Minki hyung is always trying to change my moves and make them all flower-y. We can do something REALLY cool together Seongwoo. Doyeon will love it! Please!”

He doesn’t really want to dance. He doesn’t really want to give his mother another reason to frown at the wedding. She’s only just gotten over the fact that he’s become fairly unapologetic about the full scope of his reality with their extended family.  “What about Yoojung?”

“What about Yoojung?” Daniel shrugs. “Does she dance too?”

“NO – I mean – “ God, Yoojung dancing. What would that even look like? Especially with Daniel on the side? He had a feeling the final choreography would involve a fair amount of writhing and hip thrusting.

“So you’ll do it?”  Daniel practically pushes the words into his mouth as Seongwoo is left weakly staring after the over-eager boy. “Great.”

“Is your mom- here? If she sees you dancing – I mean does she support it?“ His own mother certainly hadn’t.

“Hey,” Daniel interrupts him quickly in a no-nonsense tone. “I just told you – I’m not my mom.” With this ridiculous request, evidently, Daniel has proved to him that he’s not what his background is and also in some weird way he’s reassured Seongwoo that he’s not out to make his life a living hell. “So, you’ll do it?”

What he hasn’t assured Seongwoo of is why the hell he cares so much about what Seongwoo thinks of him. “Sure – if you think it’ll be fine. Do you – uh –  have a good relationship with her?”

“My mom?” Daniel asks softly as Seongwoo nods. “Uh – it’s fine I guess? It’s nothing that great – do you have a good relationship with yours?”

“I mean – kind of? We’re of an understanding for now – she can’t stop loving me and I can’t stop loving her so despite the challenges we're trying to make do. At least she's not setting me up with girls anymore. That was a pain.” What the hell is he saying? He wants to stop talking but Daniel’s enraptured gaze has him spilling his guts out. “To be honest, she’s still getting used to being supportive of my choices? First with the idol piece, then the radio piece – and the whole ‘I-may-not-give-you-grand-kids-in-the-most-traditional-sense-of-the-word’ piece.” Daniel doesn’t respond and Seongwoo sighs. “Sorry – I mean – I didn’t mean to make this awkward for you – we barely –“

“No I mean – I was quiet because I was envious.” Whatever Daniel wants to follow his words with – it must be heavy because it looks like there’s a lot on his shoulders. “We fight – a lot. My mom and I. My dad and I too. I’m not really supposed to be doing my own thing the way I am –“

“Living outside of the house?” Daniel nods slowly.

“Well – I was close to being treated like Minki – but Minhyun managed to convince the family to- you know - calm down?"

“Man, rich people drama." Daniel laughs as Seongwoo curls his own lips into his mouth. At least he's not offended. "Hey, is everyone in your family in everyone’s business all the time?” Idly, he wonders if Doyeon knows what she’s trying to marry into.

Daniel shrugs and smiles to himself. “Yeah – pretty much. We’re basically a bunch of messes with lots of money so – things get shabby and stupid pretty quickly.” Daniel laughs softly. “It’s kind of why I wanted to leave and make my own money. I knew I had to build an identity that’s not built on Minhyun’s dad. Plus, I don't really fit in with the rest of the family. I never have. Growing up, I was too fat, then I was too tall, then I had bad teeth - and school? When I didn't get into Minhyun hyung's school - it was like I'd committed murder.  My childhood wasn't necessarily easy. It's kind of why Minhyun hyung and his friends are so protective of me.” Seongwoo's interest is piqued – mostly because in this one moment Daniel has let him know that they’re not all that different. “To be honest, I was shocked when I was allowed to come to this wedding - I didn't even go to Suzy's last year.” Daniel leans back in his chair covering his face. “Fuck, now I’m oversharing. Too much alcohol, sorry.”

“No – I mean – it’s fine –“

“No - it's not. We talk about T.V. shows and pizza Seongwoo. Today, we’ve talked about your digestive system and my mommy issues.” Daniel looks at him pointedly and Seongwoo gulps. He’s not wrong. “Let’s change the subject. Anything else you want to talk about?”

If he was a braver soul, he may push him but Seongwoo is not brave enough to ask Daniel to continue a conversation that resembles something real and something that brings down that barrier between the two of them.

Not yet anyways. “Who is Jonghyun?” He says it casually, reaching for the tub of ice cream to the side.

"Fuck, you're really perceptive aren't you?" Daniel teases as Seongwoo shrugs. “He's just Minhyun's friend."

Seongwoo raises his eyebrows. "That's it?"

"Yeah?" Daniel looks like he's sweating now and it makes Seongwoo grin. It's adorable in a way that Daniel's so good at keeping his own interests at heart but he sucks at acting on behalf of anyone else's. "Stop looking at me like that!"

“What? Is he like Minhyun’s dirty little secret?” When Daniel doesn’t say anything, Seongwoo feels his heart crash in his chest. “SERIOUSLY?!”

“No! God no – Minhyun hyung would never but I don’t actually know what happened to them so –“ Daniel groans like he wants to backtrack all of their conversation and Seongwoo can’t help but grin cheekily. “Stop enjoying this.” He growls and Seongwoo only laughs more. He didn't end up bothering Daniel the way he wanted - but still this was better than nothing. “Look, all I know is they had a massive falling out. Before then, you couldn’t find one without the other- I’m not explaining this properly at all. Jonghyun was one of their friends. It was ALWAYS Minhyun, Jonghyun, Minki and Dongho but Jonghyun never really fit in. He wasn’t like us – he wasn’t really rich and he came from a family with a lot of struggles but you couldn’t tell because Jonghyun was the type of person who kept his issues to himself. Still – like two polar opposites that really didn’t have any business in each other’s lives - Minhyun and Jonghyun were inseparable.”

Seongwoo feels his eyes blink quickly, gulping back the knot in his throat. This sounds like the stupid story he’s stuck in too. Whoever this Jonghyun kid is, he’s sure they’d get along famously.  “So what happened?”

“Uh – university I’m guessing?” Daniel shrugs. “I was a year younger and I went to a different school so I don’t know all the details. After high school ended, Minhyun hyung went off to become who he is today and Jonghyun hyung just - disappeared. I haven’t heard from him since.” Daniel’s face visibly softens. “It just sucks. His mom had cancer, he worked like so many jobs, he was constantly studying – but I have a feeling that things didn’t turn out good for him. Life never set him up to succeed and I guess - sometimes - things just suck?” Seongwoo sputters back a laugh as Daniel looks traumatized. “You’re laughing?! I just told you his mom had cancer and you're laughing?!”

“YAH -  I'm not laughing at that. Jonghyun's life sounds incredibly sad." Seongwoo's still laughing as Daniel shakes his head at him disappointedly. "I’m sorry – things just suck?” He claps a hand on Daniel’s shoulders. “So poetic. You should really go into storytelling.” Daniel flushes red, and Seongwoo turns his head to the side to hide his laughs.

"You suck." Seongwoo’s never seen Daniel get embarrassed – and what a stupid thing to get embarrassed about.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Seongwoo leans back in his seat as he sees Daniel roll his eyes, the red on his cheeks intensifying. “Besides Minhyun didn’t help Jonghyun? His own best friend?” That didn’t sound like Minhyun at all. Minhyun would never turn his back on someone he considered close to him – especially if that person was having a hard time. 

“I know.” Daniel looks frustrated as he reaches for the ice cream, pulling it out of Seongwoo’s hand to dig his own spoon in. “That’s why I don’t understand what the hell is up!” Daniel pushes his head into his hands. “It doesn’t make sense. He should be here. I can’t help but feel like I’m – taking his place. I shouldn’t even be walking down with Minhyun hyung – it’s only his friends - ”

“Well – I think I’d much rather walk down the aisle with you than a stranger so even if you feel that way –  I’m glad it’s you here.” Daniel is barely listening to him – he has ice cream now. Seongwoo is impressed with the way his mouth stretches to accommodate what might as well be one big kiddie scoop at Baskin Robbins. “How much more ice cream are you going to eat by the way?”

“As much as I want. Real talk - this is why I moved out. To have ice cream whenever I want. I’m an adult now. Adults can do that.” Daniel sticks his tongue out to lick the spoon.

Seongwoo watches in a mixture of awe and disgust. “Your reliance on sugar is astounding.”

Daniel laughs pointing his spoon at Seongwoo accusingly. “Your ability to be nosy is just as astounding – “ 

"Ouch. Point taken." Seongwoo pretends to take a bullet to the chest, making the sugar high boy in front of him dissolve in snickers.

“Hey, do you think we should freestyle right now?”

Seongwoo laughs. “Dude – I know you’re straight but are you asking me to dance with you? I’m getting ideas man-“ Daniel rolls his eyes as Seongwoo plays a fake piano in the air. “Turn up the romance a little- with that ice cream running down the side of your mouth I’m not very enticed.”

“Not that way – I mean like – let’s think about the dance. For Doyeon and Minhyun. Seriously. I think we’d do great together. We could even maybe make it funny – like about how they met or something!” Daniel smiles at him. “Plus, let’s see those moves of yours – I bet they’re not as good as you think they are.”

“Hey man – I’m just warning you – if you see my moves you may just become a fan boy-“ Seongwoo snickers as Daniel winks at him.

“Who says I’m not already?”

Before Seongwoo has a chance to think about Daniel’s words a chef lands in front of them. “Uh – what are you two doing here?”

Needless to say, both of them laugh awkwardly before turning to hand back their used spoons to the chef who stares at them like they’re bad kids in class. “Thank you for the ice cream?”

They’re kicked out on their asses before they have a chance to apologize for raiding the kitchens.

When Seongwoo finally crashes in bed – he feels a sense of relief.

All things considered, Day 1 of the Wedding of the Century hadn’t been so bad. Sure, he had embarrassed himself multiple times in front of Daniel, essentially committed social suicide by being quiet at the lounge, and revealed his status as a peeping tom to everyone at his dinner table –

But he’d also gotten the reassurance that Daniel didn’t care about how they met, that Daniel genuinely seemed to like him as a friend and perhaps most importantly –

Seongwoo had Daniel’s number now.

Like clock-work his phone lights up.

_Good night! See you in a few hours for breakfast!_

He forces himself to stop smiling. I’m _not waking up for breakfast. Good night._

He quickly puts his phone away before the temptation to say more to Daniel rises back into his hands, like _I had a really good time tonight_ –

That feels too much like something you’d say after a date and they hadn’t had a date. They’d  eaten food together – like they had many many times before.

Except this time there had been no window between them and as shitty as the rest of the night had been-

Seongwoo can finally say he's happy Kang Daniel made his way out of the window.

 

 

“ONG SEONGWOO – “ A pillow hits his face. “WHO SLEEPS UNTIL 11AM IN THE MORNING BEING SO UTTERLY USELESS I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE-“

“Good morning mom-“ He grumbles into his pillow as he burrows his head further under the covers. In seconds, the covers are ripped off him.

To be honest, he isn’t sure why he thought that would work. This isn’t his mom’s first rodeo – girl’s ridden the horse that is the impossible task of waking up Ong Seongwoo a million times over the past 20 something years of his very pitiful life.

“Good morning Seongwoo!” He does not need to hear Choi Yoojung’s voice in the morning. “Had to come wake up my favourite cousin since his mother just landed and – I’m glad that you’re all bundled up in the covers **alone** and happy!”

“Afraid you’ll find someone else in here with me Yoojung?” He snidely remarks as his mother’s jaw drops.

“YAH – YAH – ONG SEONGWOO- SCRUB YOUR FILTHY MOUTH OUT – IS THIS HOW I TAUGHT YOU TO TALK? FILTHY FILTHY -” He winks one eye open. Oh dear god, his mother’s heel is in her hand already.

That’s the signal he needs to bolt out of bed and out of her reach. Dear god, the lady probably packed that stupid rubber flip flop she kept around from his childhood for sheer trauma purposes. “MOM! I’M AN ADULT NOW – YOU SHOULDN’T USE YOUR SHOES ON ME-“

“YAH – WHAT ADULT SLEEPS TILL 11? COME HERE.” Thankfully, he’s already in the bathroom, his head safely stored away from the threat of a solid whacking into the next decade. His old lady got older, she got weaker – but her freaking wrists were still as strong as ever. “IF YOU’RE NOT OUT IN FIFTEEN MINUTES I’M GIVING SEONHO YOUR SHARE OF YAKGWA –“

“MOM, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH YAKGWA IN HAWAII?” He yells as he gets into the shower rubbing his head furiously.

“YAH. I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET MARRIED BUT WE NEED IT IN THE CEREMONY. WHAT IF THERE’S NO YAKGWA HERE? Doyeon’s mother told me to bring some for the ceremonies in case the hotel forgot to – we’re in America. She’s not holding it at the Shilla – honestly it would have been so much easier in Korea-“

“Mom you got a free trip to Hawaii – can you please relax?” In seconds, he’s out as his mother shoves a wheat cookie into his mouth. He smiles, quickly enveloping the five foot two inch tall woman in his arms. “I missed you.”

“If you miss me so much, then you can call me? What a liar- kid doesn’t even love me –“ Thankfully, his old lady is exactly as he remembered her. Still annoying enough to not call. Loving enough that he can’t imagine he’d avoided her for so long.

 Yoojung shrugs weakly. “Can we go now?”

“Where are we going?”

“Duh – to plan the bridal shower? We need to talk to the wedding planner, get some figures from a cake lady and figure out some flavour stuff and then tonight there’s another party. Your bachelorette is all done right? It's the the night before the wedding, right?”

“Yup.” Seongwoo lies through his teeth. How the hell is he going to pull this off? Maybe he does need to talk to this wedding planner guy. “You really need my help?”

“Well big sister Kim Chungha’s not here so –“ 

“Yah – you two – understand Chungha’s situation. She’s Doyeon’s big sister but she’s so busy nowadays.” His mother smiles proudly. “She was promoted to Junior Vice President of Marketing at LG at her age!”

“Great. Wow. She gets to wear more expensive suits now!” Seongwoo pretends to coo, clapping his hands. “I might care a bit more about that if I actually remembered what her face looked like –“

“ONG SEONGWOO! COME HERE BEFORE I HIT YOU-“

Somehow his mother’s joking words have turned into something else as Daniel storms into the room. “YO Seongwoo, I can’t believe you were right – people are actually coming after you –“Seongwoo feels his mother’s spine straighten as she looks between Yoojung who is happily clapping at Daniel’s entrance and Seongwoo’s shell shocked face.

Daniel is freshly showered, his milky white skin glimmering in the off handed light from Seongwoo’s window and Seongwoo feels his mouth slack open.

How can someone look that good in the morning in the tacky colour that is hot pink?

He’s only vaguely aware of how his mother is reading him like a book she knows too well. He’s going to have to explain this later to her. God, he’s already dreading it. “Hi? I’m Kang Daniel – Minhyun’s nephew and-“

“Why are you here? In my son’s bedroom?” His mother asks brusquely.

She’s never been one for polite behaviour and Seongwoo groans as he pushes his head into the wall. “Mom – he’s Minhyun’s nephew. Can we please be nice to members of Minyhyun's family?”

“Why do I have to be nice to some boy I don’t know?” His mom is honestly too protective of him.

“Ong-imo! Daniel is a nice boy. I swear, he’s Yoojung approved!” Yoojung jumps excitedly to the point where she’s literally using Daniel’s taller shoulders as leverage to jump up and down around him.

Seongwoo feels his eyebrows twitch in irritation. If she could stop gluing herself to Daniel’s side, it would do miracles for his already questionable sanity level here at this wedding.

Daniel giggles and catches his eyes. Despite the fact that Yoojung is almost piggy backing him, he manages to hold his hand out to Seongwoo's mother. “I'm also your son’s neighbour – it’s nice to meet Seongwoo’s mother! He was just telling me about you –“

Seongwoo turns to look at him in shock. What on earth – “HA! He’s talking about me to others but he won’t call me?”

“He was saying he gets all his good looks and funny radio personality from you.” Seongwoo lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as he watches his mother’s icy stance melt a little. “I can see he was obviously wrong – you’re far better looking than he could hope to be.” Daniel winks at her and that’s it – his mother’s icy stance disappears.

The straight boy has wormed his way into yet another pretty woman’s heart. Fucking great. “Seongwoo – I like this boy.”

“Me too! Isn't Daniel so cute Imo? Look at his smile!" Yoojung jumps up to quite literally ruffle Daniel's hair which essentially results in her making the guy look like he's hunchback of Notredame as she messes with his lips. “Daniel, let’s go have coffee together.”

Seongwoo weakly raises a hand as he sees Yoojung start skipping out of the door, arm looped into Daniel’s. “Uh – don't we need to plan the bridal-“

“PLAN IT WITH YOUR MOTHER.” Yoojung yells back as she drags Daniel. “I’LL MEET YOU AND EUNKI IN THE LOBBY IN FIFTEEN AFTER I HAVE COFFEE WITH DANIEL – I MEAN YOU ALREADY HAD HIM ALL TO YOURSELF LAST NIGHT –“

His mother turns to give him a pointed look that he ignores, laughing shakily. “YAH - YOOJUNG WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? I MEAN YES - WE’RE – SPENDING TIME TOGETHER BUT WE'RE WALKING DOWN THE AISLE TOGETHER SO IT'S JUST FOR LIKE - THAT. IT'S TOTALLY NORMAL AND TOTALLY NOT ANYTHING NOTEWORTHY.” He yells back more for his mother’s sake than Yoojung’s since she didn’t bother to wait to listen to his argument.

He’s left standing here awkwardly looking at his mother as she observes the flush on his face and scoffs. “I should have spent more time teaching you how to act.”

His mother. Where he gets his bitch from. “Mom, I act fine." She snickers that she's got him to admit that he was acting. "I mean - like it's really not a big deal."

“Please – you think you can hide from your mother with THAT?” She shakes her head, disappointed tic in her throat. Seongwoo groans but doesn’t acknowledge her correct assessment, instead choosing only to melt into her outstretched arms. “Yah – that kid looks nice but don’t do something stupid, Seongwoo-yah. He’s one of those.”

“One of those eomma?” Seongwoo snickers hiding his smile behind his smile as his mother looks at him seriously.  

“He’s hiding something and I can’t trust people who hide their personalities behind a smile Seongwoo, because-“

She trails off pointedly looking at him to fill in the blanks with the mottos she’s pressed into his head since birth. “Don’t trust every smile you meet.” To be fair, when he’d agreed to follow her advice at the tender age of 6 years old he hadn’t met Kang Daniel, personification of sunshine, yet.

Can't he let himself trust Daniel just a little? Can a smile so perfect really hurt him?

“Exactly – and I don’t want you spending time with a fake person.” She looks at him pointedly. “Especially in – that ‘capacity’.”

Capacity?

That’s what she’s calling it?

Next thing he knows his mother will be taking about sex as density and force. “MOM! PLEASE STOP. NOTHING IS GOING ON.”

From outside of the room, they hear a yelp and they turn to see Minki who looks like Seongwoo was yelling at him instead of his mother. “Ah – Seongwoo eommeoni – hello.” Minki bows his head respectfully smiling with all the charm of a prince from a manga. “Seongwoo, go down to breakfast guy – it’s almost done! You drank a lot yesterday- we need to take care of your health!” Minki takes his leave as quickly as he came.

His mom lets out a literal sigh. Seongwoo turns to look at her with a frown on his face. “Now, that one I like! He’s taking care of you after you drink – I’m rooting for him.”

Honestly, if it were up to his family he’d be dating all of Minhyun’s friends. “Mom – we’re all just friends okay? Please, I know you’re new at this BUT you can’t just go around pairing your son up with every person you meet at this wedding. Please.” He figures if he stresses it twice it might stick in her head.

“Yah – come on – I can’t set you up with any of my friend’s daughters so I can’t even enjoy setting you up here with the boys?” No, she most certainly cannot do that. Especially not when she calls them 'the boys'. “Come on, let’s go downstairs. Seonho talked about how badly he wanted to see you all the way here on the flight. He wants to work in radio now too –“

Seongwoo yawns, fat chance that there’d be any fruitful conversation there. “Yeah, sure. First Seonho wanted to be a fireman, then he wanted to be a policeman, then he thought he’d make it as an artist – then he tried singing –“

His mother pulls her fingers to his lips smushing the rest of his words together. “Don’t be so mean to your littlest cousin – he’s still in high school. Not everyone can be like you. Determined to drown yourself in poverty for the rest of your life.” Seongwoo’s eyebrow twitches but he lets his heart relax when he feels his mother hug his side. “I’m very happy you’re doing well, son.”

“Yeah well, I’m happy you’re here.” He presses a kiss to her forehead. “I’m not lying mom – I did miss you.”

“Good – because the ladies in the neighbourhood have been asking me for signatures and I need approximately – 200?”

“MOM!”

Yes, things between them had been less than ideal at some points of his life – but his mother is trying now and he is too.

And – that’s all he could really ask for.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANDDDDD - We're getting to the fam part of the storyline - things are going to get faster now :) 
> 
> Hopefully, you guys are still enjoying everything (the humor was a bit down in this chap but I wanted the tension between the two of them to set in strong so hopefully that came through!)


	7. Play Your Cards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am actually so excited to have this chapter finally done. 
> 
> SO. SO. EXCITED.
> 
> okay now I hope you all flutter away and go read this and have fun. (ft. mildly horny Seongwoo)

 Seongwoo is sure that Hong Eunki is a very beautiful man.

After all, Eunki has all the grace of a dancer – pale, tall, skinny. Really, the man looks very much like that typical starving artist sort of gorgeous that's usually Seongwoo's chosen type.

There’s even layers to his beauty, Seongwoo supposes because the more Eunki huffs and puffs right at him – the more Seongwoo cannot stop his mind from wandering away until it finds the image of an Eunki flushed, panting and pinned to a wall.

Really - very few men make him feel like this when he first meets them.

In any other situation, he may pursue said mental imagery if only to just take the edge off the constant pressure he’s feeling around Daniel.

So yes, Hong Eunki is definitely beautiful.

A _‘gut-twisting, lick all over and ruin in your mouth’_ brand of beautiful.

But that's when Hong Eunki is not on the edge of a mental breakdown - “EXCUSE ME?”

Right now? Hong Eunki is hot alright – 

He’s a hot ass fucking mess.

Eunki’s sweating profusely. There are licks of hair stuck to his forehead and his chest is shifting up and down at a speed that would make a drunk-driving Justin Bieber seethe in envy.

Ah, that’s an excellent thing to say on air – he better text Jisung that to keep it on file for an appropriate moment.

Yes, the reason Eunki looks this way is 100% Ong Seongwoo’s fault. He looks up from his phone to sigh in the direction of the disgruntled wedding planner. “Sorry, sorry – I mean – if you’re free. Of course. You have to be free for me right? I mean I can’t pay you because like – it just goes on Minhyun’s tab?” His little joke on the idea of ‘ _time vs. money_ ’ is not appreciated. Eunki folds his arms over his chest. “I just need a little – teensy – weensy favour.” Seongwoo brings his fingers up together to indicate said ‘teensy-weensy’ space, even throwing in a bashful wink. This attempt to lighten the atmosphere also does nothing for their tense conversation. Eunki’s lungs look like they are three seconds away from collapsing on themselves. “Eunki-ssi, please take a deep breath – you look like you’re going to faint.”

“It isn't about the money. This isn’t just a teensy- weensy favour, Ong Seongwoo-ssi. This is a very last minute request.” Eunki’s hands come up to cover his head, sighing like a Jane Austen heroine complaining of her frazzled nerves. “Did you know that a number of the extended family members landed today? Did you know that many of them were not able to obtain ocean facing rooms? Did you know the hotel has no ocean facing rooms left? Did you know that the groom’s parents have been putting a lot of pressure on about the Pyebaek and getting a larger than normal venue because more of the extended family will be there? Did you know Makena beach is being a bitch about permits for the day of the wedding–“

Okay, if he keeps letting Eunki talk they’ll be here till he knows how to do Eunki’s job for him or till he gives up on having Eunki organize Doyeon’s bachelorette for him – “I knew none of that. I am truly apologetic for any inconvenience I’m causing you and your team – “

“I am the team. I need a break.” Eunki moves his head back into the paper bag that he’s been breathing in and out of for the past five minutes.

“How about a Kit Kat?!” Seonho chirps from behind Seongwoo’s shoulders.

Honestly – why is he the one who gets stuck with Seonho out of all the possible cousins at this wedding?

He has a feeling it's because Seonho can't actually glue himself to Minhyun. The man is, after all, actually getting married. He has responsibilities now and can't just spend his hours at family gatherings humoring Seonho.

As both Eunki and Seongwoo turn around to give Yoo Seonho identical confused expressions, their little teenager elaborates for his audience. “Eunki-ssi, I think you need to eat something.” Seongwoo turns around to see that his clingy cousin has somehow managed to climb what looks like an office cabinet, legs dangling long over the edge.

Despite the disapproving look on Seongwoo’s face, Seonho smacks his lips against the lollipop in his mouth uncaring.

Honestly –

How did he end up getting stuck here taking care of both Doyeon’s hyperventilating wedding planner and his annoying little cousin?

Isn’t this type of shit typical of a maid of honor task? Speaking of that hellish bitch, where the hell is she? Yoojung said she’d meet him down here – eventually – if she hadn’t managed to run away and elope with Daniel yet –

Okay – he should give Daniel a little more credit than that.

Actually, no he shouldn’t. The mere presence of Daniel in his life is confusing enough that he has no need to give that man any more real estate in his bloody brain. “Seonho – I know this isn’t very clear to people who aren’t you but food doesn’t solve everything.”

“Actually - I could go for some food. I missed breakfast.” Eunki voices meekly like he’s afraid of voicing his hunger to them.

Seongwoo groans when he sees Seonho’s arrogant smile turn to him.

Yoo Seonho is going to grow up to be just as irritating as he is. It sounds great now, sure, but everyone hates Ong Seongwoo in their family.

He’s starting to see why.

He can hear Doyeon’s mom now - _why couldn’t we just have one pretty, studious, try hard boy that isn’t a complete bitch in their family for once? Someone to give Chungha some company –_

Okay, maybe she wouldn’t say that. There isn't a universe out there where his aunt would use the word ‘bitch’ in every day language like she’d asked you to pour her some tea. 

“When was the last time you had a good meal Eunki-ssi?” Seonho is clapping a hand over Seongwoo’s back.

Except Seonho is no longer 13. He’s kind of this lanky, awkward, overly strong teenager who’s making Seongwoo cough up what he is sure is vital bodily fluids.

With that strength - Seonho’ll be baby Yoojung and baby Seongwoo at the same time.

Yuck. What a visual that is.

“The only thing I’ve eaten in the past three days is two bananas from the front desk and a couple of nuts from the bar – “

Dear god – no wonder Eunki looks like he’s going to come apart at the seams.

Either that or he’s talking entirely about something that’s not food at all – which would be even more commendable but Seongwoo needs to get his head out of the gutter and there are children here.

Well, there are no children in his head or outside really – with the exception of Seonho who really isn’t all that much of a child anymore.

Still, Seonho is their beloved 16 year old idiot whose useless innocence needs to be protected like U.S. nuclear missile codes.

Seongwoo should know. He’d been an idiot 16 year old not too long ago. God, he should send Chungha flowers for having to deal with him at that age. With this hypothetical famous people money that should be coming into his bank account anytime now –  “Eunki – are you sure you’re not – “ on the edge of a nervous breakdown? “In over your head?”

“I AM FINE! I’m fine. I am fine?” Taking pity on the poor older men beside him, Seonho digs into his pants to eventually toss the wedding planner a lollipop.

Eunki lunges forward immediately to catch the sugary sustenance.

Unfortunately, while he is successful in grabbing the lollipop – Eunki is unsuccessful in protecting his pretty face from banging into the wall Seonho had tossed it to.

With not a care for his mildly flushed face, Eunki manages to rip open the sugar packet energetically. “See hyung! Food! Fixes everything! My one true love works wonders.”

This is not the lesson they need to be teaching this little boy – Yoo Seonho will eat the world into starvation someday.

“So you were saying?” Eunki’s eyes widen to an almost crazy round-ness as his lips round over the lollipop in a suggestive manner, tongue flicks and all.

Seongwoo feels his mouth grow dry. “I really need your help-"

“Yeah I got that - you want a bachelorette party – night before the wedding? Planned from scratch? No expenses spared?”

“Yeah – I mean if it’s possible.” Seongwoo rubs the back of his head before folding his hands together in front of his face in the most sincere apology he can manage. “I’m sorry – I didn’t know about you before. Otherwise, I definitely would have reached out to you sooner to organize the party but–“ I’m a lazy piece of shit who has little forward looking vision with zero execution capabilities?

Yeah, he has a feeling that excuse isn’t going to fly over very well.

That being said – with sugar in his mouth and a happy light in his eyes, Eunki changes his sorrow filled song to a more pleasing tune. “No worries -  I can handle anything! I mean I handled diving into Haleakela. I lost two eyebrows but I did it! And one time I got lost on the road to Hana and converted to a local tribe member until I was saved by Samoan pirates who liked putting on plays at night about JFK and Marilyn’s illicit love  affair – but that’s another story. Colonization is the worst.” Eunki breaks off cheerfully, lollipop appearing to have saved his dropping energy levels and mental stability. “Leave it to Hong Eunki! Wedding planner extraordinaire!”

“Ah, you’re the wedding planner?” Oh god – that stupidly cheerful voice can only belong to one overly smiley idiot in this entire planet. “Minki said you’re the best!”

Said smiley idiot makes his way over to them and Seongwoo turns to look at him unable to stop the irritation he feels ticking in his throat when he sees Yoojung tucked under his shoulders.

It’s really not all that bad. Jaehwan’s off to the side with them, walking like a blind bat with his phone.

Still, his mom is right.

In the purest sense of the word, Kang Daniel is just such a fucking fake.

For god’s sake – Daniel has literally willingly walked right into the wedding planner’s office. Who the hell else would Eunki be if not the wedding planner? (It could theoretically be Seonho who is the wedding planner he supposes but Seonho probably couldn’t plan a wedding to save his life – and also that would probably be breaking some sort of child labour law)

Despite the logic his brain continues to spew at him, his eyes remain drawn to the sheer brightness exuded by Daniel’s smile –  innocent, naïve and oddly authentic even in his obvious fakeness.

Maybe there’s something there, something real that even Daniel is unable to hold back – or maybe that something real is what Daniel is trying to paint over and keep hidden at this wedding.

Seongwoo can hardly fault him for that. Daniel admitted last night that his relationship with his family is stressed. So surely that would also mean that at this wedding Daniel is required to behave in a manner that is more restricted than his usual behaviour in Seoul right -?

Not that Seongwoo knows too much about what Daniel is like in Seoul either…not really.

All he knows about Daniel is frames in a scene.

There’s no words, no background music, no context to their co-existence. “I’m the best?!” Eunki squeals interrupting his train of thought.

Just as well. Seongwoo really shouldn’t be spending copious amounts of time looking at people who deal smiles like lies sold in the streets.

At Eunki’s heightened tone of voice both Yoojung and Jaehwan struggle to hide identical laughs behind their hands. Seongwoo has spent enough time with Eunki now that he doesn’t want to shatter the man’s already fragile self-confidence because these two think Eunki’s stressed appearance is funny (it is funny but they shouldn’t be laughing). He hits the two of them lightly on their shoulders which does nothing to muffle their loud laughs.

Well – he tried.

Daniel, it appears, is far more masterful and skilled at distracting Eunki from their cousins. “Yeah! You planned Suzy’s wedding too, right?!”

“Great wedding. GREAT. WEDDING. GREAT. ABSOLUTELY. SUZY’S WEDDING – GOD, THE CAKE. I COULD GO ON. AND ON. AND ON.” Okay, what drugs did Eunki put in that cake and what else can Eunki go on and on and on about because - shit - what is wrong with you, Seongwoo? “Actually, Seongwoo and I were just discussing Doyeon’s bachelorette party -“

Despite the fact Daniel has engaged trainwreck, lollipop-licking Eunki – the blond boy just continues his casual conversation with him like Eunki isn’t sweating bullets right in front of all of them talking about Suzy’s maybe weed heavy cake. “AH – you’re helping Minki with his party too right –“

“Actually, I’m helping with shit all on that one. They even got the best fusion Korean restaurant to agree to cater for them and I KNOW Aron hates working catering jobs. Minki is very convincing though. I’m sure they worked out a lucrative enough deal that worked out to benefit the two of them  _really_ well.” Eunki leans on his desk, arms to his back as he drops his voice several levels with a far too heavy tone of flirt to his words. “Did you need help with something too? We could probably work something out - ”

Daniel comes over to throw a hand over Eunki’s shoulders amiably. “I did actually. My name’s Daniel – I’m Minhyun’s cousin!” 

Eunki visibly flushes and leans towards Daniel’s chin. “What a name.” A ball of twisted knots are now slowly worming into the size of a bowling ball in Seongwoo's stomach. “Anything for a friend of the family.”

HE'S NOT A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY. HE'S FAMILY. IS EUNKI EVEN LISTENING TO DANIEL?

Can Seongwoo blame him?

At that close proximity he'd probably lose all rational sense too.

Eunki bats his eyelashes up at Daniel. Seongwoo resists the urge to drop his jaw, pull Eunki by the arm and drag him outside to demand an answer to - WHERE ARE THE PANIC ATTACKS NOW HONG EUNKI?

And another thing, what the hell is up with Daniel? Is he actually letting Eunki just hang off him?

Come – be charmed, swept off your feet and fall in love with Kang Daniel – it’ll only cost you 50 cents at this freak show of a wedding!

God did Daniel have to be so friendly with every fucking person he met? What was this? Part of his act? Couldn’t he fucking tell that Eunki is like – maybe three seconds away from jumping him?

He should be fucking able to – Seongwoo is 100% sure this is exactly what he looks like when he looks at Daniel too.

As pretty as Hong Eunki is and as wonderful as the idea of sleeping with him is, Hong Eunki has got to go.

Wait – fuck –

Is he actually feeling possessive over Daniel who, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t even fucking matter to him?

Wow.

Get your shit together, Ong Seongwoo. There’s no way this is working out in your favour unless Daniel’s deep in the closet.

He grits his teeth together like a fuming pitbull, watching Eunki play with the white ivory buttons on Daniel’s hot pink shirt.

Even if Daniel’s in the closet – it doesn’t matter. Seongwoo doesn’t do closet cases. Let Eunki have him. He can deal with that fucking mess if he wants to. Or Yoojung. Or whoever else wants into Kang Daniel’s pants other than him.

Seongwoo is better than that now. He’s better than being pushed into lockers, he’s better than leaving agencies for questionable relationships, and-

He’s definitely better than fucking up this wedding for the only person who matters more to him than himself. He can’t risk hurting Doyeon. He can’t. He won’t. He will not ruin this for her in any way.

His attention is only drawn back to the words Eunki and Daniel are exchanging when he catches his name in their conversation. “ – Seongwoo and I are going to be dancing at the rehearsal dinner for Doyeon and Minhyun. If it’s okay with you, could you help us work things out with the tech support on the day? I was thinking we’d do a slideshow of their baby pictures in the back or something too –“

OH.

Right.

He had agreed to that hadn’t he?

“Sure! That’s a hell of a lot easier than a whole party!” Does Eunki need to slyly remark on that? No, he doesn’t. Eunki is pretty but he’s a bitch. “I can set you guys up with tech and leave the bachelorette with me. Minki’s going to have no idea what hit him – except you know – Eunki and Seongwoo’s bachelorette for bad ass bitches!”

“OH. My. God. You haven’t planned a thing?!” Yoojung shakes her head laughing as she puts her face in her hands. “Seongwoo – you’re fucking amazing.”

“Shut your fucking pie face, Choi Yoojung.”

“You’re just irritated because you’re a mess. Yet again.” She singsongs laughing as she comes over to cuddle into Seonho.

It’s an interesting sight to say the least given that mere years ago it had been Seonho who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) crawl off Yoojung’s lap. “Noona! I’m getting stressed just looking at you all. You look so – old.”

Yoojung tuts under her breath. “YAH – Yoo Seonho – that's so rude. How can you talk like that to your elders? Should I call your mom –“

“Should have known you were going to be such a snitchy person noona-”

This time Seongwoo cackles as Yoojung’s expression drops when faced with the angsty teenager version of their younger cousin. Seongwoo rubs her head delicately as Yoojung instead crawls over to his arms instead. Seongwoo rolls his eyes but pulls his arms around her anyways. “Don’t look so disappointed – I have a feeling he’s going to be pulling a lot of this shit.”

“Seonho – wouldn’t it be better for you to hang out with some of the other kids your age? A lot of our cousins are actually your age – you’re the youngest on your side right?” Daniel asks amiably as Jaehwan crows loudly.

“Yes yes! Jinyoung just landed this morning too! I heard he brought a friend and his mom let him because – well – you know what Jinyoung’s like guys.” Seongwoo squints at him until Jaehwan laughs weakly, a bead of perspiration working its way down his forehead

“Jaehwan, are you scared of Jinyoung?” Honestly, Seongwoo can’t really blame him.

When he’d met Jinyoung the younger boy was in his long hair phase. Seongwoo had gingerly opened that door to the Bae penthouse at 7pm on Halloween and the kid had rushed to the door looking like that creepy thing from 'The Ring'.

But Seongwoo had learned with time that Bae Jinyoung wasn’t that bad once you got to know him – and taught him how to use the miracle that is Laura Mercier concealer –

“I’m not scared of a 16 year old guys – come on –“ Jaehwan's laughs grow breathy as he rubs the back of his head. “Well I mean not - that scared - LET’S BE HONEST OKAY. FINE. I AM SCARED. I AM SO SCARED OF BAE JINYOUNG. I ASKED SUZY AND SHE TOLD ME THAT JINYOUNG IS THE SON OF THE DEVIL AND HE’S PROBABLY ADOPTED OKAY. HE HAS THE EYES OF SATAN. THEY’RE SO DEEP. THEY’RE SO DARK.”

Daniel shakes his head. “Jaehwan, you asked Suzy that when we were like 15 and I swear to god – Suzy was fucking with you. Has anyone in our family ever adopted – anyone?”

“Well, it’s not like you haven’t tried –“

Jaehwan is just joking but immediately Daniel’s expression darkens. "What did you just say?" 

It’s the most real expression Seongwoo has seen out of him all morning. Daniel’s scowl dampens Jaehwan’s fear until he’s left awkwardly nodding his head towards Daniel apologetically.

Thankfully, they don’t have to rely on the Hwang cousins to keep their atmosphere up. “This Jinyoung sounds like a cool guy?” Seonho pops the lollipop from his mouth. “Still - don't really want to hang out with ya huntys-“

“What is a ‘hunty’?” They all look at each other thoroughly confused when Seonho doesn’t offer up an expression.

“Kid’s vibing like a G.” Eunki gingerly speaks up, hands on his hips as he looks at Seonho. “It means – honey and cunt. It’s kind of a nice thing to say – kind of? TBH the jury’s still out on that one.”  

Seongwoo only understood half of that. He has failed as a cool, hip, top 40 playing radio show host. What is his purpose in life now?

Oh who is he kidding - he hasn't been cool since he was 25.

“YAH – ARE YOU SWEARING NOW – YOO SEONHO – YOU – “ Yoojung makes a move to chase after Seonho who is already walking away from them. Seongwoo grabs her by her dress. It wouldn’t do well to beat Seonho up in America – they put people away for stuff like that here.

Wait – why is he stopping this from happening?

It would be great to have her jailed so he doesn’t have to worry about her horny ass after Daniel’s perfect one.

Yet, he has a feeling that his mother wouldn’t look too kindly upon the fact that he let Yoojung go to jail, laughing and flipping her off at the same time. “Yoojung-ah, puppy-ho is being a teenager! Let him go do stupid shit! He’ll roam around a foreign country where he speaks zero words of the native language but so what? What’s the worst that could happen?”

Honestly, the more he speaks the more he feels like he should have let Yoojung race after Seonho.

Still. Too late now.

Seonho could get arrested – but how bad would that be? Being arrested is practically a right of passage for their family members – the cool ones, anyways. He’s been arrested, Doyeon’s been arrested – his uncle Tae had been arrested too –

“Well – if that's all you need from me for now - “ Eunki’s eyes connect with Daniel’s, fingers inviting themselves to the corner where Daniel's shoulder meets his neck. “People to do. Things to see.” Seongwoo cringes on behalf of the only other openly gay man in the room. 

In some ways, Seongwoo admires Eunki for being as flirty as he is with straight-Niel.

In other ways, he feels exactly like Dongho and Minki did last night.

Wow – maybe they’re into Daniel too –

At this point, they should just rename Doyeon and Minhyun’s wedding hashtag to #everybodylovesDaniel. “Thank you again Eunki!” Daniel chirps happily as their wedding planner takes his swift exit from his own office, leaving them within. Almost immediately, Daniel turns to look at Seongwoo. “You ready?”

Seongwoo had not been planned on being ready for anything. “Yes – uh actually no – I mean – what?”

“Go start working on your DUMB dance. Why are you sooooo slow Seongwoo? That's all Daniel's been talking about for the last fifteen minutes.” Yoojung hits his arm for the second time that day as Seongwoo puffs out his cheeks towards her. “Now both you fanciful boys be back in time for the beach excursion that bridezilla Doyeon has planned for all of the 20 somethings and we’ll be golden like galleons.”

“Why are you talking like there’s ten refs you want to communicate?” His mission to annihilate Yoojung’s inherent coolness is halted when the giggle he’s recognizing a little too easily is pressed close to his ear.

He turns to his left side to see the offensively beautiful smile of Kang Daniel pressed to his side.  Daniel's hand even rests perfectly on the curve of Seongwoo’s shoulder, fingers clenched in the fabric of his cotton white shirt in what feels like a lock to Seongwoo. 

His mother would not be proud.

This is not staying away from Daniel.

“Ready?” Daniel asks again, his smile never discouraged. It’s even perfectly positioned on his rose-tinted lips with his eyes twinkling with a light that Seongwoo wishes could illuminate him on what the fuck is happening here.

Whatever it is – Kang Daniel isn’t going to let him know about it.

Seongwoo is his puppet to play with and Seongwoo hates admitting that he’s all too yielding to whatever it is Daniel wants from him. “Ready.”

 

 

The actual practice session is only practice in name since most of their hour together is spent picking the songs they want to work with. They finally narrow in on a skit based performance that will represent Doyeon and Minhyun’s relationship.

Everything’s going to be a gag, of course.

If Seongwoo is going to go up and dance for all his family members with another man – he’s going to damn well make sure that they’re dying of laughter by the end of it.

While Seongwoo is perfectly happy with the selections they’ve made, Daniel is a bit more hesitant. “Are you sure? I find it hard to believe that Doyeon will be okay with these songs.”

“Please- Doyeon knows she’s the most high maintenance person in our family.” Seongwoo rolls his eyes, adding the sequence of selected songs to their playlist. “We’ll go with Shots, Shots, Shots to recreate how Doyeon and Minhyun met. Then do ‘I’m Too Sexy by Right Said Fred’ for the shits and giggles,” This may just be because he wants to make Daniel trail after him when he’s pretending to be Doyeon. “Then we’ll end off with Dear Future Husband by Meghan Trainor. Honestly, the demands made in the song are light compared to what Doyeon would ask for in reality.” Daniel’s still looking at him skeptically. “What?”

“It’s just –“ Daniel gulps back a ball as if he’s not really sure how to say this. “Shouldn’t we do something more romantic?”

Seongwoo's hands pause on his Spotify screen.

When he speaks again, he makes sure to keep his voice so level and no nonsense that there’s no room for argument on where they’re taking this particular performance. “Daniel, I’m good at making people laugh. Just trust me. This will be good.” When he glances up at Daniel, he’s left frowning since the other man is still looking at him skeptically. “Look Doyeonnie will be fine – it’s not like we can make fun of Minhyun right?”

Daniel lets out a breath weakly nodding. “No, I guess that’s true. I don’t think my family would appreciate the humor in that.”

“So relax. Let me take over. If there’s one thing I’m good at Kang Daniel – it’s making people laugh. I can make everyone laugh-”

“Everyone but yourself?” The words come off so naturally Seongwoo almost ignores the intention behind them. But now he’s stopped mid-way through putting his earphones back into their home on his head and his moment of hesitation has left both Daniel and him breathing quietly in the room.

In an effort to make sure none of his natural nervousness around the other man is painted on his face, Seongwoo smiles.

Daniel shrugs, looking back at his phone unbothered by his own words.

By his own actions.

By his own decision to play with Seongwoo’s mind.

Continuously.

How fucked up is that?

Well if he's going to try to mess with Seongwoo's head with his words - then he better be ready to receive similar treatment.

His legs seem like a safe place to start so he lets his calves fold out of their position to land on either side of Daniel’s hunched over body. 

Daniel doesn't move.

He slides himself closer. With one boosted lift, he'd practically be in Daniel's lap.

Daniel doesn't move.

His face leans forward. That's when he hears the other man’s irregular breathing. 

Daniel looks up.

Seongwoo's trapped him for all intents and purposes. Daniel could make this very awkward, he could shift away – ask him to leave – push him to the ground in both positive and negative ways that leave tingles running on Seongwoo's spine - 

But before Daniel can do anything, Seongwoo bursts out laughing. It’s not a real laugh, it’s painted on and it’s a little bit hurt. He watches as Daniel looks on, obviously disturbed by the shift in their dynamic. “What are you doing?”

It’s the most obvious question that Seongwoo has no obvious answer for. “Nothing.” Seongwoo snickers to himself shaking his head. “Nothing, innocent Daniel.” He folds his legs back into their safe lotus flower position and shifts away from Daniel.

“It doesn’t feel like nothing.” Daniel mumbles back, his expression darkening again with that same hint of what Seongwoo caught a brief glimpse of before with Jaehwan. Seongwoo’s ready to disregard it this time. He doesn’t need to entertain Daniel any more than he already has.

What he doesn’t expect to feel is Daniel’s left leg touching his right knee like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

The seconds tick by as the two of them listen to the music in their ears.

Seongwoo gulps back the twisted tangle of tension in his throat. It cascades over his insides, leaving him a mess of tightened and hurting joints until his left leg stretches out to touch Daniel’s right knee.

They’re a shape now. Square. Parallel and intersecting all at once like a math problem with no real fucking solution.

He pushes his head into his hands, briefly aware of the sound of a head being scratched beside him.

Daniel wants him close but Daniel wants him far. Daniel makes him look like a joke.

Worse, Daniel needs him to be a joke. 

And for him? Right now?

Seongwoo is all but happy to play the joker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOL SO - uh who can tell that I have a 'not-so-mild' Eunki bias - (everyone I know I know - but he's just so amazing guys how could I not flesh him out to his full potential - TT.TT)
> 
> ALSO - i have low-key started a twitter and will probably just be sitting there retweeting a bunch of stuff from 101 boys :) if you'd like to drop by and say hello occasionally (bc i usually only respond to comments during an update) - then it is here :) [@lillith_evans](https://twitter.com/lillith_evans)
> 
> also thank you for being patient with me as always <3 <3


	8. Pineapple Express

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little bit sad about the impending thing - 
> 
> so i'm writing in this POV bc I want to write in Seongwoo's POV mostly.
> 
> and somehow this has worked out. so here's the update
> 
> to anyone who needs a hug this is my virtual equivalent of a hug.

 

 

 

 

“Having fun yet?”

“So much fun.” Despite what he’s said, Seongwoo has a feeling that Bae Jinyoung is not having fun being partnered with him for this stupid pineapple exercise Doyeon’s signed them all up for.

 _‘It’s a fun family activity Seongwoo! Something everyone can do! Even you!_ ’

He’d thrown the top of a pineapple crown at her head.

Unfortunately for him, pineapple crowns looked rather good on her and the crowns have now become the official MinDo wedding accessory with almost all the female members of the Hwang clan sporting them like they’re made by Givenchy instead of the wieldy sickle the jolly Hawaiian man used to sack them off.

So all in all, he gets it. He’s not that overjoyed to be here either – and he can’t imagine what Jinyoung in his surly teenager shoes must be feeling. It probably doesn’t help that he’s been partnered with some old idiot who he met once a few months ago when said old idiot was looking to make some fast easy cash. “I’m sorry Doyeon stuck you with me –“

“It’s fine.” Jinyoung is not very convincing as he says this because his eyes are drawn back to where a red mop of hair is laughing into his baby cousin Seonho’s ears.

It wasn’t fair for Doyeon to stick Jinyoung’s only friend with Seonho at the excuse of inter-side mingling. “Do you want to be with Jihoon? He’s your – “ He forgets how it is Jaehwan referred to Jihoon. “Friend?”

Jinyoung barks like he can’t believe someone used the word Jihoon and friend in the same string of connected sentences. “Jihoon is a lot of things hyung, but friend? Don’t make me laugh – that’s probably last on that contract he signed with my parents. It’s not like I need him around all the time – I’m fine without him too. He can serve the family in many ways – I’m only one of them.”

“What?” Jinyoung groans as Seongwoo looks at him worried.

“Hyung – Jihoon isn’t a friend because we pay for him to live with us. So – if we make better use of him taking care of your brat of a cousin – then that’s fine too.”

Oh.

What? “You – pay – for him?”

“Well, I don’t make any money – so I don’t but yeah – my parents pay for him to live with us and make sure I’m never doing something against their wishes.” Jinyoung snorts. “It’s a fucking joke.”

Seongwoo feels his stomach twist as he catches sight of Doyeon glance at Seonho and Jihoon with a bright smile on her face as Minhyun nods and buries his head into the crook of her neck.

If Jihoon has somehow managed to handle Jinyoung and simultaneously soothe Seonho’s frazzled spirit from seeking affection from Minhyun – then he’s already excelled in his service to the Hwang clan.

And that thought makes this eerier to him than it ought to be.

What is Doyeon doing? What the hell is this convoluted mess and why is she participating in it at all – or does she even know – “Don’t look so shocked, hyung. It’s really not all that bad.”

“What do you mean it’s not all that bad –“ Jinyoung looks amused at his terror. “He’s –“

“He’s being raised by the Baes and getting paid for it – is it really so bad?” With one of his eyebrows quirked up, Seongwoo feels his already muddled thoughts grow all the more muddled as he sees Jihoon pop a piece of pineapple into Seonho’s mouth. “A little orphan with nowhere to go but to the prison cells in which he was born – is it so bad to be given a life at the cost of serving someone else?”

 Something about the way Jinyoung speaks about him makes him feel like the younger boy looks down on Jihoon. He’d argue against such behaviour but he is not Jinyoung’s – anything. He has no right to lecture the other boy at all.

Jihoon is nothing more than a boy himself though. So Jinyoung’s words and Jihoon’s living situation register as wrong in his mind.

Life is not a commodity. Park Jihoon may not have been born into the same circumstances as Jinyoung or even Seongwoo but that doesn’t give someone in another economic bracket the right to make the young boy a product of glorified slavery - not at his age.

He watches Doyeon turn to peck Minhyun on the lips, sour taste turning sourer as he looks back to the pineapple.

This is not a conversation he has the right to have. He is no Hwang and he is no Doyeon and he doesn’t get to frown upon the way this family manages their life; not here and especially not with Jinyoung who appears to be looking for someone to cause a scene for him. “What’s school been like?”

Jinyoung is a little sorry that he hasn’t taken this bait. “Like you give a truckload of –“

“I give a fleet worth of truckloads of." He retorts quickly before the infamous troublemaker can end his sentence. At least now, Jinyoung’s smirking as he turns back to his phone, fingers whizzing away on the screen instead of helping him with this _‘Fun Family Activity!’_. “Please put that away Jinyoung, we’re going to cut pineapples together now-"

Jinyoung’s fingers do not halt in their attempt to annihilate his screen – although they do appear to get him from level 15 to level 16 of Tetris. “Can’t you just do that for me?”

No, he cannot do that for him. He is no glorified slave and Jinyoung’s parents haven’t taken him in and promised him board and food in return for his life. “Doyeon paid a lot of money for us to do this together, Jinyoung.”

He should have known better than to appeal to the financial sense of one of the most privileged teenagers to walk Hawaii. “Do you always do what Doyeon _wants_ you to do? God – you really are like Jihoon.” Jinyoung pats his shoulder, a healthy dose of pity colouring his eyes. “Ong Seongwoo is Kim Doyeon's little bitch - who knew?”

This, once again, is too obvious an attempt from the younger boy to incite a reaction from him.

His lack of one though has the proud baby heir of the ‘energy’ division of the Hwang Empire prod his shoulders like an irritated toddler asking for a change.

Jinyoung will find no lecture here. The younger boy has spent most of his life cared for with every whim and fancy indulged because people have to show that they give a shit about his selfish ass.

It’s great then that today Jinyoung has the opportunity to learn what it’s like when no one gives a shit about what you have to say. Sure, is it a little too ambitious a task to accomplish in the space of an hour? Perhaps – but if Jinyoung comes out an even slightly better human being after this than he was before – it’ll be a life lesson well worth imparting. “People have called me much worse, Jinyoung-ah. I’m happy to do the things Doyeon wants because I love her. If that happens to make me her ‘bitch’ in the eyes of someone who can’t even consume alcohol legally – then so be it.”

As the last of the words leave his mouth, he sighs and turns back to the untouched pineapple.

That wasn’t all about Jinyoung.

He really has heard it all. Ugly words, pretty words, dirty words.

The hearing isn’t even the worst part. The worst part is the people saying them. People like his father, and his mother, and the only person he’s ever given all of himself to –

So, he isn’t going to lose it at some half-assed slur – especially not one from some twisted teenager looking to enforce false power over him.

When he turns to look at him, Jinyoung puts his phone away and picks up the knife to hack away at the crown that had mocked him all day. “There’s a good little dongsaeng-“

“Don’t push your luck, hyung.” Despite the false tone of honey in his voice, Jinyoung’s face wears a smile.

Since there isn’t anything else to do for now, he lets his eyes scan the rest of the pineapple plantation.

In all honesty, it’s not a bad excursion, Doyeon and Yoojung (and probably Eunki) picked something that wasn’t age limiting and the tour before was fun.

Right now his father is smiling as his mother puts the nugget of glistening pineapple in his mouth. Yoojung’s beaming as wide as her cute little mouth can manage because she's (somehow) managed to partner with both Daniel and Jaehwan. Jaehwan keeps slipping cubes into her mouth and Daniel is storing golden rings into three takeaway containers. Dongho –

Oh god. Dongho has butchered the pineapple. There’s pieces of it all over him as Minki, much like Jinyoung, stays on his phone.

The only person who looks lost with the task at hand is Minhyun.

The man of the hour is staring at the fruit like it’s some kind of alien object while his fiancé butters up her future in-laws with special cinnamon dusted fruit.

“Do you want to try a little?”  He turns back to see Jinyoung is holding up a piece of the fruit for him. He doesn’t verbally respond but does squat down and back so his mouth is a net.  Jinyoung spins on his feet before the pineapple sails and lands in his mouth with a distinct plop. “Seriously – what’s up with your mouth though?”

“Without my mouth would you have landed that 3-pointer?”

“You’re talking to the guy who turned down the basketball captain so uh – yeah. I would have totally landed that.” He pretends to be awed, oohing and aahing until Jinyoung looks irritated with him for acting more immature even though he's older. “Stop doing that.”

“But if I don’t do that - how will you know?!”

Jinyoung flat lines as another piece of pineapple soars through the air, except this time Jinyoung shifts his head around to try to catch it in his own mouth. “How will I know what?”

He’s surprised Jinyoung's mouth can catch anything at all. The boy’s head is the size of an ant. “That you’re such a PLAYER.”

Jinyoung chucks the crown at his head and instead of letting it smack him - he catches it to juggle instead. “Hyung, aren’t you too much for someone your age? You’re an ‘almost’ celebrity now. Shouldn’t you be more mature?”

People keep saying that to him. 

But he didn’t ask for his fame. “Bae Jinyoung, I didn’t know you kept up with my show- I’m so touched – “

“I don’t!” It’s too late to backtrack now. “Seriously! I could care less about your show but my girlfriend was your fan - that’s ALL. When I told her you’re a poof -“ Jinyoung grits his teeth together, before shrugging like he has no reason to feel guilty for saying that. Seongwoo would try to show him a better way but – he’d rather leave the revolutions to men like Minki who can bear that burden a little better. Sure it feels – odd to hear it but at least it doesn’t hurt. Not from an ignorant, oblivious child. “She was hella disappointed.”

“The only value I got out of that mini rant of an excuse was that you have a girlfriend, now?”

This excuse to talk about his lady love should have desolate teenager Bae Jinyoung’s eyes light up in happiness – but instead he looks at the pineapple like it’s the source of his every misery. “I keep forgetting that – I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“So you – pretend – to have a girlfriend?” He’s making a joke but Jinyoung throws down the knife on the cutting board with a rough thwack. Maybe he’s not in the mood for jokes. “Jinyoung, are you –“

 “I’m going for a walk.”

Jinyoung kicks at the ground, glaring at his parents who don’t so much as throw him another look as he stalks off towards where Seonho and Jihoon have managed to fashion a small little chick carving out of the pineapple.

“Jinyoung left you all alone, huh?”

Oh, wonderful.

The draft of his own Greek tragedy has taken the seat beside him. “Hello to you too, Daniel.”

Daniel sneaks a smile up at him before he busies himself with carving up the rest of the pineapple. “That’s not cool, leaving you like that.”

Why does Daniel care? It’s not like he couldn’t have cut his pineapple himself. “Here to save me?”

“From using a knife?” He places one hand on his forehead, dramatic whine leave his chest as he shakes his head much to the amusement of the bubbling buffoon beside him. “Seongwoo, you’re not good in the kitchen.”

If he wasn’t so enamored with that strange chiming sound, he would have punched Daniel in the face just to get him to shut up. Lucky for Daniel, he is enamored with – pretty much everything about the other man. “Like you’re any better- I don’t think I’ve ever seen you really cook.”

“I was baking just a few days ago! You were there.”

Well – “Baking doesn’t count.”

“Why not?”

“It just – doesn’t.”

“We could do it together, then. Learn from each other.” Daniel leans a little closer to the pineapple, eyes never quite touching his even as he stares after the blond.

He doesn’t really know what it is that Daniel means to say to him and what he actually says.

Maybe Daniel isn’t even aware of the difference between the two spheres of conversation that he’s constantly having with him.

Is it all that bad if he lets himself – indulge in the possibilities of what they could do together?

The taste of pineapple, calloused fingers slick over his neck, sticky and sweet - “Sorry – what is it we’re doing together?”

“Cooking.” Daniel says this like there’s nothing else and no room for interpretation of anything else – but ‘else’ is what he was trying to insinuate with his question. “We could both use the help.”

He has no real understanding of Daniel’s sexuality nor has Daniel, himself, volunteered to offer him any such clarity. So he can only rely on double worded statements of his own. “Blind leading the blind.”

“You have more experience than me." Daniel starts, eyebrows twitching with a nervous sort of energy that finds its way into his tone. “Granted you burn everything and I’d rather not risk dying in a fire – “

Every word Daniel says leads to ten other words in his mind. It’s a game he doesn’t like playing. It leaves too much at chance and too much in question since he’s never sure of the right words to respond with.

It’d be so wonderful if Daniel spoke in clear Hangul in characters he could recognize with no spaces between the characters – or their lips for that matter –

That might be a heavier ask than what Daniel’s willing to answer to. “Let’s make dinner when we’re back – but not right away. I think I might need space from that face of yours after seeing it so much –“

Daniel snickers, nodding along as he claps a fruit slicked hand on his neck. “But I like seeing your face?”

He pushes Daniel’s hands off him with relative success…but regardless the feeling of the other man’s thumbs running circles over his skin appears to be inked in. “You should clean your mouth out –“

“Your mouth doesn’t seem all that clean – maybe we should do that together too – “ Now, this guy is either being openly lascivious or he really is just an idiot.

Eitherways, he’s not going to let some loser like Kang Daniel drive his sanity into a tizzy. There’s much more interesting scenes to observe - like the tour supervisor yelling at Dongho as he apologizes profusely for disappointing Hawaii. “Has Dongho always been this – bad at everything?”

“He makes a lot of dumb mistakes. All of them do, to be honest…but Dongho’s not the worst of them.” Well, Daniel probably hasn’t been privy to that other side of him. The one where Dongho shuts half of himself down to keep whatever anguish he feels inside of him private – shared only with himself to wallow and drown in – so he can cause anguish to those around him too. “Minhyun hyung said you guys don’t get along?”

“It isn’t that.” He corrects watching as Daniel’s smile dims from teasing to confusion. “He’s just irritating, you know? The type of good guy who loves being told he’s a good guy.”

There’s a silence that hangs uncomfortable in the air until Daniel shrugs and turns back to the fruit. “If he’s so irritating, why’d you sleep with him?” His eyes blink at the speed of a Formula1 race car as he sees Daniel turn to grin at him before turning that grin to Dongho. “Am I wrong?”

No, he’s not wrong…

Just – no one is supposed to know. No one. Not even Minhyun and Doyeon.

Dongho’s a dick – but he’s notorious for keeping his word. “Look, I’m not about to go into the details of whatever it is that we had together because we agreed to keep that to ourselves -“

“So – you did sleep together?”

“What does it matter?!” Despite the fact he’s almost shrieking, Daniel shrugs like it’s no big deal that he’s brought this up –

It does matter. They aren’t in the safe space of a city he knows. He’s in the midst of people who would – not take kindly upon that information. Daniel can’t just start talking about whatever he wants and claiming things he doesn’t even know to be true –  “Look I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable –“

“You did a really bad job of that.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Look – my business is my business and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to – make assumptions –“

“I don’t think it’s an assumption when anyone who looks a little closer can tell that the two of you are exes with unfinished business.”

Daniel has no reason to look a little closer than required though. No one does. “Still our business to leave unfinished, isn’t it?”

Daniel’s eyebrows knot together, lower lip protruding like he’d like very much to get involved in a story that isn’t quite his. “Look – all I’m saying is you don’t appear to have the most hea –“

“Daniel – what the fuck are you trying to do here?” The profanity is not well received because Daniel scoffs and shakes his head and turns back to the table. “What?”

“It’s just – it’s not good to hold onto feelings like that. Not just for you. Emotional baggage is nothing to be possessive of.”

“Well, lucky for you –“ The scoff following his words holds the empty hollowness inside of him that’s left unfulfilled by everyone around him. “My emotional baggage doesn’t come from fucking around with Kang Dongho.”

He’s hoping that’s the end of the fucking conversation – there’s no way Daniel will keep – “I know that.”

When he looks back up at Daniel, irritated and bewildered by the other man’s words he’s struck silent. Daniel’s making him feel like he’s staring down the barrel of a revolver – ready to ruin him to smithereens for their captive audience.

He has nothing else he can say to protect himself or his secrets– “You don’t know shit.”

Daniel’s not done. “You – feel hurt, don’t you?”

His insides twist, heaving a hello to an old friend burgeoning up from the crater he’s done his best to load up with everything he’s signed a contract to hold back. “You feel like a liar.”  

“Seongwoo –“ No, no – Daniel isn’t allowed to say his name like he understands because he doesn’t.

Daniel doesn’t know what it took for him to give up his first dream and Daniel doesn’t know what it took for him to stay stationary on the ground while feet knocked on the doors of his chest and Daniel sure as hell doesn’t fucking know what it means to live with the ghost of that pain every day –

They don’t know each other – and Daniel will never know him. Not really.

All they are is people who see each other’s faces a little more than normal. That doesn’t give Daniel the right to talk to him like he’s been privy to everything the younger version of himself had to go through.

Daniel is just a pretty boy on the other end of the window.

A picture perfect in a frame.

Someone who should have stayed there because he’s more trouble than he’s worth.

He’s about to give into what Daniel (and Jinyoung) wanted and lash out in full view of everyone else when a small hand, manicured and gentle, lands on his shoulder. “How’s it going over here?”

Daniel grins up at Doyeon like he didn’t just try to emotionally manipulate him for his own sick pleasure. “I don’t think I’m needed here, anymore. Minhyun was right noona – you really are one of the only people Seongwoo’ll open up to.”

He practically snarls as Doyeon turns to look at him confused at the words leaving Daniel’s mouth.

The reason Doyeon has him is because Doyeon has always been there.

Doyeon is the one who went with him to the hospital. Doyeon is the one who ran her hands through his hair when he couldn’t breathe at night.  Doyeon watched him grow and fall and drown before she did her best to pick him up again –

Daniel doesn’t get to be Doyeon.

Doyeon is a little more concerned though as one more of the Hwang Empire embraces her with a bright smile and carries on back towards his old station. Yoojung coos in happiness, welcoming him with a large leap into his arms.

He forces himself to look back at the pineapple in front of him with nothing left to cut into.

Unfortunate. He needs an outlet. “Do I want to ask?”

“Only if you want to hear me whine.” He confirms with a bright fake grin of his own. “What’d you come over for?”

“Seongwoo –“ He looks at her urging her to not say anymore. When she says his name like that it’s a quiet ask for more and while she, unlike Daniel, has full right to demand more from him – he can’t quite give her more now. It’s better for both of them if they leave whatever it is he’s feeling right now unsaid. “Do I have to come over for something?” Yes, actually, Doyeon does have to come over for something because she’s busy presenting herself as the perfect bride and while he understands why they don’t spend time together - she cannot pretend that she doesn’t have a reason for coming here.

His prolonged silence accompanied by a stressed quirk of his brow has Doyeon relenting with an apologetic look on her face. “Chungha booked an earlier flight.”

“WHY?” Doyeon claps a hand over his mouth, eyes widened as she stresses the importance of quiet just in case all her in-laws find out that they’re not the impeccable middle-class family portrait she’s trying to paint for them. “Why?!” This hiss is a little softer so she releases her hand from his mouth.

Chungha spends every ounce of effort in her body staying away from them and with good reason – they’re all fucking mental. “Beats me. I told her I’d send a cab but – she asked that you go pick her up.”

The last time he drove was a little over a year ago…and Chungha wants him to go drive and pick her up in a foreign country? “Why?”

This question is starting to grate on Doyeon’s nerves since it’s the only thing he’s said to her in the last 40 seconds. “I don’t know Seongwoo! Maybe she’s trying to be difficult. Maybe she needs to fake use your piss for a drug test. Maybe she has a secret family she wants to introduce you to first - “

It’s confirmed. In her quest to be perfect at every single moment of her life, she’s gone mental, absolutely mental.

Chungha would never do any of that (Doyeon would do all of those things though – hell she’s already done two of the three –).

He doesn’t blame her for over-reacting though. When it comes to Chungha, Doyeon’s always been a little more sensitive. Her relationship with the eldest of their generation has always been fragmented.

They’re sisters and they love each other – sure – but it’s not a clear, light weighted type of love. Instead, it holds the force of their past bitterness and the distaste Doyeon’s nurtured and cared for every day of her life as the victim of her parent’s overt favouritism for their first child.

He’s a little less biased when it comes to Chungha. Chungha is, and always will be, a little bit of a role model to him despite what he may have his oldest cousin believe he thinks of her.

Chungha is someone whose spirit cannot be broken – it’s always full and intact, never injured. Just for that he’s relieved that he’ll be seeing her soon. He needs to experience her brand of unfiltered medicinal advice because he needs someone to do that to him right now and Doyeon’s not in the mood, much less available to him. “You sure you want to talk about drug tests where your future in-laws can hear?” Doyeon narrows her gaze but relents, leaning on his shoulders. “When is she landing?”

“10AM – you can duck out tomorrow during breakfast?”

This is a blessing in disguise.

Still, he pretends to be inconvenienced as he lays his head on her shoulder, letting himself revel in the feeling of Doyeon’s fingers once more running through his hair. She always did know how to calm him down. “Is it me – or is this not going as well as we thought, Doyeon?”

“Seongwoo,” Doyeon laughs, the sound sharp and cutting. “Nothing ever goes the way we want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALSO - I need to stop writing 8 versions of every chapter I write. (ps to anyone who is actually still around you're all blessings and i hope this was worth the wait)

**Author's Note:**

> Part II of Destination y'all :D! This one is more fluffy and fun bc Seongwoo <3


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